Polyaniline functionalized separator as synergistic medium for aqueous zinc-ion batteries

Ningning Zhao; Youtuo Zhang; Zekun Zhang; Chao Han; Yuyan Liang; Jintao Li; Xiaolei Wang; Lei Dai; Ling Wang; Zhangxing He

doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2023.03.184

Polyaniline functionalized separator as synergistic medium for aqueous zinc-ion batteries

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2023 Jul 15:642:421-429. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.03.184. Epub 2023 Mar 31.

Authors

Ningning Zhao¹, Youtuo Zhang¹, Zekun Zhang¹, Chao Han¹, Yuyan Liang¹, Jintao Li¹, Xiaolei Wang², Lei Dai¹, Ling Wang³, Zhangxing He⁴

Affiliations

¹ School of Chemical Engineering, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063009, China.
² School of Chemical Engineering, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063009, China. Electronic address: tsxiaolei@ncst.edu.cn.
³ School of Chemical Engineering, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063009, China. Electronic address: tswling@126.com.
⁴ School of Chemical Engineering, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063009, China. Electronic address: zxhe@ncst.edu.cn.

PMID: 37023514
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.03.184

Abstract

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) have received increasing attention as a promising energy storage device. However, it was rarely reported that the separators as a synergistic medium stabilize the cathode and anode materials. Herein, a polyaniline functionalized glass fiber separator (PANI-GF) was synthesized in situ. The porous structure of PANI effectively regulated the flux of zinc ions inside the separator and its deposition behavior through ion confinement. The abundant N-containing functional groups can adsorb water molecules and effectively reduce harmful side reactions. Moreover, the PANI-GF separator adjusted pH to inhibit dissolution of the cathode by protonation. Importantly, based on the synergistic separator, the Zn-MnO₂ full cell exhibited more than twice discharge capacity compared to the conventional cell after 1000 cycles at 2 A g^-1. This study provided in-depth insight into the design of convenient, reliable, cost-effective, and synergistic separators for AZIBs.

Keywords: Aqueous zinc-ion batteries; Desolvation; Ion confinement; Polyaniline functionalized separator; Protonation.