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REPORT BATTERIES Rechargeable nickel3D zinc batteries: An energy-dense, safer alternative to lithium-ion Joseph F. Parker, 1 Christopher N. Chervin, 1 Irina R. Pala, 1 Meinrad Machler, 2 Michael F. Burz, 2 Jeffrey W. Long, 1 Debra R. Rolison 1 * The next generation of high-performance batteries should include alternative chemistries that are inherently safer to operate than nonaqueous lithium-based batteries. Aqueous zinc-based batteries can answer that challenge because monolithic zinc sponge anodes can be cycled in nickelzinc alkaline cells hundreds to thousands of times without undergoing passivation or macroscale dendrite formation. We demonstrate that the three- dimensional (3D) zinc form-factor elevates the performance of nickelzinc alkaline cells in three fields of use: (i) >90% theoretical depth of discharge (DOD Zn ) in primary (single-use) cells, (ii) >100 high-rate cycles at 40% DOD Zn at lithium-ioncommensurate specific energy, and (iii) the tens of thousands of power-demanding duty cycles required for start-stop microhybrid vehicles. T he present energy-storage landscape contin- ues to be dominated by lithium-ion batte- ries despite numerous safety incidents (1, 2) and obstacles, including transportation re- strictions (3), constrained resource supply (lithium and cobalt) (4), high cost (5), limited recycling infrastructure (6, 7), and balance-of-plant requirements (8)the last of which constrains the energy density of Li-ion stacks. Despite these disadvantages, Li-ion batteries are widely used because they provide high energy density, high specific power, and long cycle lifeattributes that must also be met by any alternative battery system in order to compete for market share. The family of zinc-based alkaline batteries (Zn anode versus a silver oxide, nickel oxyhydroxide, or air cathode) is expected to emerge as the front- runner to replace not only Li-ion but also lead- acid and nickel metal hydride batteries (9, 10). This projection arises because Zn is globally avail- able and inexpensive, with two-electron redox (Zn 0/2+ ) and low polarizability that respectively confer high specific capacity and power. The long-standing limitation that has prevented im- plementing Zn in next-generation batteries lies in its poor rechargeability due to dendrite for- mation (1113). We bypass this obstacle to cycling durability by redesigning the Zn electrode as a monolithic, porous, aperiodic architecture in which an inner core of electron-conductive metallic Zn persists even to deep levels of discharge, schematically depicted in Fig. 1A (14, 15). In primary 3D Znair cells, this spongeform factor (3D Zn) discharges >90% of the Zn (16), a 50% improvement over conventional powder-bed composites (17). When cycling Zn sponges at the demanding current densities that otherwise induce dendrite forma- tion in alkaline electrolytetypically greater than 10 mA cm 2 ( 18)the 3D Zn restructures uniformly without generating separator-piercing dendrites ( 14). The performance of the Zn anode enables us to explore the secondary NiZn system. This battery chemistry uses a rechargeable cathode (NiOOH) that is further developed than the air cathode of rechargeable Znair and is more economically feasible than AgZn. Nickel-zinc batteries dis- charge via the oxidation of Zn metal coupled with the reduction of nickel oxyhydroxide ac- cording to the anodic (Eqs. 1 to 3; Zn) and cath- odic (Eq. 4; NiOOH) reactions. Electrooxidation: Zn(s) Zn 2+ (aq) + 2e (1) Complexation: Zn 2+ (aq) + 4OH (aq) Zn(OH) 4 2(aq) (2) Dehydration/Precipitation: Zn(OH) 4 2(aq) ZnO(s) + H 2 O(l) + 2OH (aq) (3) Electroreduction: 2b-NiOOH(s) + 2H 2 O(l) + 2e 2b-Ni(OH) 2 (s) + 2OH (aq) (4) The theoretical specific energy for NiZn is 372 Whkg 1 , whereas a practical NiZn battery delivers up to 135 Whkg 1 (~300 WhL 1 on a volu- metric basis) depending on battery-design con- siderations and Zn depth of discharge (DOD Zn ). Contrasting the specific energy for a fully packaged Ni Zn cell as a function of increasing DOD Zn with that for lead-acid, nickel-cadmium, and nickelmetal hydride shows that the performance of NiZn is comparable or superior (Fig. 1B), even at modest utilization of the Zn (10 to 20% DOD Zn ). Deeper depths are required (40% DOD Zn ) to bring NiZn to a specific energy that becomes competitive with common Li-ion batteries at the single-cell level. These calculations assume that the Zn and Ni electrodes are present at 39% of the total packaged weight (19)a conservative assumption because the percentage of packag- ing weight (casing) is expected to decrease when scaling Ni3D Zn cells up to vehicle-relevant stacks. We previously reported on electrolyte formu- lations and electrode additives that minimize shape change of Zn sponge electrodes cycled 20 times to 20% DOD Zn in a Ni3D Zn configuration (20). The proper electrolyte formulation should in- clude additives that force dehydration of soluble zincate [Zn(OH) 4 2(aq) to ZnO(s)], (Eqs. 2 and 3) at lower concentrations than occur in unadul- terated 6 M KOH. For the deep-discharge and long-term cycling conditions of this study, we used an electrolyte formulation of 6 M KOH + 1 M LiOH in conjunction with a Ca(OH) 2 -infused Zn sponge electrode. This combination of additives provides superior round-trip cycling efficiencya cell-based metric that convolves performance RESEARCH Parker et al., Science 356, 415418 (2017) 28 April 2017 1 of 4 1 U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Surface Chemistry Branch, Code 6170, Washington, DC 20375, USA. 2 EnZinc, Inc., 85 Lincoln Park, San Anselmo, CA 94960, USA. *Corresponding author. Email: [email protected] Table 1. Summary of the projected effect of the nickel3D zincbased battery on various weight and normalized capacity metrics of relevance to electric vehicles (EVs). SLA, sealed lead-acid; AGM, absorbed glass mat. E-bike Start-stop microhybrid Battery electric vehicle SLA Ni3D Zn* AGM Ni3D Zn* Li-ionNi3D Zn* Energy capacity (Wh) 540 540 1720 1720 24,000 24,000 ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Weight (kg) 12.2 5.9 45.0 21.7 339 220 ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Specific energy (Whkg 1 ) 44.3 91.8 38.2 79.2 71 109 ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Energy density (WhL 1 ) 140 225 126 164 96 216 ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... *Calculations for the Ni3D Zn battery (scaled to match the capacity of a specific application) were made on the basis of a fully packaged battery system. The sensitivity of the energy density of the battery to variations in capacity of the zinc anode and nickel cathode is 20% (fig. S3). Metrics for the Li-ion stack in the Nissan Leaf were used for comparison. on February 7, 2021 http://science.sciencemag.org/ Downloaded from
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Page 1: BATTERIES Rechargeable nickel 3D zinc batteries: An energy … · REPORT BATTERIES Rechargeable nickel–3D zinc batteries: An energy-dense, safer alternative to lithium-ion Joseph

REPORT◥

BATTERIES

Rechargeable nickel–3D zincbatteries: An energy-dense, saferalternative to lithium-ionJoseph F. Parker,1 Christopher N. Chervin,1 Irina R. Pala,1 Meinrad Machler,2

Michael F. Burz,2 Jeffrey W. Long,1 Debra R. Rolison1*

The next generation of high-performance batteries should include alternative chemistriesthat are inherently safer to operate than nonaqueous lithium-based batteries. Aqueouszinc-based batteries can answer that challenge because monolithic zinc sponge anodescan be cycled in nickel–zinc alkaline cells hundreds to thousands of times withoutundergoing passivation or macroscale dendrite formation. We demonstrate that the three-dimensional (3D) zinc form-factor elevates the performance of nickel–zinc alkalinecells in three fields of use: (i) >90% theoretical depth of discharge (DODZn) in primary(single-use) cells, (ii) >100 high-rate cycles at 40% DODZn at lithium-ion–commensuratespecific energy, and (iii) the tens of thousands of power-demanding duty cyclesrequired for start-stop microhybrid vehicles.

The present energy-storage landscape contin-ues to be dominated by lithium-ion batte-ries despite numerous safety incidents (1, 2)and obstacles, including transportation re-strictions (3), constrained resource supply

(lithium and cobalt) (4), high cost (5), limitedrecycling infrastructure (6, 7), and balance-of-plantrequirements (8)—the last of which constrainsthe energy density of Li-ion stacks. Despite thesedisadvantages, Li-ion batteries are widely usedbecause they provide high energy density, highspecific power, and long cycle life—attributesthat must also be met by any alternative batterysystem in order to compete for market share.The family of zinc-based alkaline batteries (Zn

anode versus a silver oxide, nickel oxyhydroxide,or air cathode) is expected to emerge as the front-runner to replace not only Li-ion but also lead-acid and nickel–metal hydride batteries (9, 10).This projection arises because Zn is globally avail-able and inexpensive, with two-electron redox(Zn0/2+) and low polarizability that respectivelyconfer high specific capacity and power. Thelong-standing limitation that has prevented im-plementing Zn in next-generation batteries liesin its poor rechargeability due to dendrite for-mation (11–13).We bypass this obstacle to cycling durability

by redesigning the Zn electrode as a monolithic,porous, aperiodic architecture in which an innercore of electron-conductive metallic Zn persistseven to deep levels of discharge, schematicallydepicted in Fig. 1A (14, 15). In primary 3D Zn–aircells, this “sponge” form factor (3D Zn) discharges

>90% of the Zn (16), a 50% improvement overconventional powder-bed composites (17). Whencycling Zn sponges at the demanding currentdensities that otherwise induce dendrite forma-tion in alkaline electrolyte—typically greater than10mAcm–2 (18)—the 3DZn restructures uniformlywithout generating separator-piercingdendrites (14).The performance of the Zn anode enables us to

explore the secondary Ni–Zn system. This batterychemistry uses a rechargeable cathode (NiOOH)that is further developed than the air cathode ofrechargeable Zn–air and is more economicallyfeasible than Ag–Zn. Nickel-zinc batteries dis-charge via the oxidation of Zn metal coupledwith the reduction of nickel oxyhydroxide ac-cording to the anodic (Eqs. 1 to 3; Zn) and cath-odic (Eq. 4; NiOOH) reactions.

Electrooxidation: Zn(s) → Zn2+(aq) + 2e– (1)

Complexation: Zn2+(aq) + 4OH–(aq) →Zn(OH)4

2–(aq) (2)

Dehydration/Precipitation: Zn(OH)42–(aq) →

ZnO(s) + H2O(l) + 2OH–(aq) (3)

Electroreduction: 2b-NiOOH(s) + 2H2O(l) +2e– → 2b-Ni(OH)2(s) + 2OH–(aq) (4)

The theoretical specific energy for Ni–Zn is372Whkg–1, whereas a practical Ni–Zn batterydelivers up to 135 Whkg–1 (~300 WhL–1 on a volu-metric basis) depending on battery-design con-siderations and Zn depth of discharge (DODZn).Contrasting the specific energy for a fully packagedNi–Zn cell as a function of increasing DODZn withthat for lead-acid, nickel-cadmium, and nickel–metal hydride shows that the performance ofNi–Zn is comparable or superior (Fig. 1B), evenatmodest utilization of the Zn (10 to 20%DODZn).Deeper depths are required (≥40% DODZn) tobring Ni–Zn to a specific energy that becomescompetitive with commonLi-ion batteries at thesingle-cell level. These calculations assume thatthe Zn and Ni electrodes are present at 39% ofthe total packaged weight (19)—a conservativeassumption because the percentage of packag-ing weight (casing) is expected to decrease whenscaling Ni–3D Zn cells up to vehicle-relevantstacks.We previously reported on electrolyte formu-

lations and electrode additives that minimize shapechange of Zn sponge electrodes cycled 20 timesto 20% DODZn in a Ni–3D Zn configuration (20).The proper electrolyte formulation should in-clude additives that force dehydration of solublezincate [Zn(OH)4

2–(aq) to ZnO(s)], (Eqs. 2 and 3)at lower concentrations than occur in unadul-terated 6 M KOH. For the deep-discharge andlong-term cycling conditions of this study, weused an electrolyte formulation of 6 M KOH +1M LiOH in conjunction with a Ca(OH)2-infusedZn sponge electrode. This combination of additivesprovides superior round-trip cycling efficiency—a cell-based metric that convolves performance

RESEARCH

Parker et al., Science 356, 415–418 (2017) 28 April 2017 1 of 4

1U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Surface Chemistry Branch,Code 6170, Washington, DC 20375, USA. 2EnZinc, Inc.,85 Lincoln Park, San Anselmo, CA 94960, USA.*Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]

Table 1. Summary of the projected effect of the nickel–3D zinc–based battery on various weightand normalized capacity metrics of relevance to electric vehicles (EVs). SLA, sealed lead-acid;AGM, absorbed glass mat.

E-bikeStart-stop

microhybrid

Battery electric

vehicle

SLA Ni–3D Zn* AGM Ni–3D Zn* Li-ion† Ni–3D Zn*

Energy capacity (Wh) 540 540 1720 1720 24,000 24,000. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .

Weight (kg) 12.2 5.9 45.0 21.7 339 220. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .

Specific energy (Whkg−1) 44.3 91.8 38.2 79.2 71 109. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .

Energy density (WhL−1) 140 225 126 164 96 216. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .

*Calculations for the Ni–3D Zn battery (scaled to match the capacity of a specific application) were made onthe basis of a fully packaged battery system.The sensitivity of the energy density of the battery to variationsin capacity of the zinc anode and nickel cathode is 20% (fig. S3). †Metrics for the Li-ion stack in theNissan Leaf were used for comparison.

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from the cathode and anode—because (i) Li+

augmentsNiOOH rechargeability by suppressingO2 evolution (21); (ii) Ca(OH)2 induces zincatesupersaturation (22); and (iii) 300 parts per mil-lion (ppm) of In and 300 ppm of Bi predopedinto the Zn suppress H2 evolution.For potential application in consumer electron-

ics, the higher cell voltage of Ni–Zn over tradi-tional, single-use alkaline batteries (MnO2–Zn)is a compelling feature if it can be coupled toessentially complete use of the Zn anode. Theability of Zn sponge anodes to discharge to high-Zn mass-normalized capacity and be rechargedwithout inducing dendritic shorts was probed byexhaustively discharging Ni–3D Zn cells (Fig. 2A)at a current density of ~10 mA cm–2 (C/9; i.e.,the entire capacity of the battery is dischargedin 9 hours) and then recharging at the samerate. These cells reached an average 91% DODZn

(743 mAhgZn–1; 1202 WhkgZn

–1) and could berecharged to >95% capacity from these extremedepths (Fig. 2B). Similar Zn depths of dischargewere obtained in our previous 3D Zn–air studies,but we could not probe capacity recovery in thatconfiguration because of the lack of a maturerecharge-capable air cathode (14). The emulsion-based route to Zn sponges also affords greatflexibility in application-specific x-y-z size andform factors because the mold defines the anodesize and shape (fig. S1).To address the feasibility of Ni–3D Zn in fields

of use that demand multicell stacks, high cyclelife, and power performance, we cycled Ni–3DZn cells to a DODZn (40%) that translates to a spe-cific energy competitive with Li-ion (Fig. 1B). Thelong-term experiments began with a 5-mA cm–2

break-in cycle consisting of a ~50 mAh discharge(50% DODZn) and a recharge of ~40 mAh. Thisfirst-cycle capacity mismatch was chosen to sat-urate the electrolyte with zincate and to intro-duce a buffering amount of ZnO and Ni(OH)2into the respective electrodes to minimize gas evo-lution upon charging (23). In subsequent cycles,the cells were discharged at 25 mA cm–2 (aC/1.5 rate with respect to a nominal capacity of328 mAhgZn

–1) and recharged at either 5 mA cm–2

(Fig. 2C) or 10 mA cm–2 (Fig. 2D). A ~3 mAh po-tentiostatic hold at 1.93 V was added to the endof each charge to ensure exhaustive oxidationof the NiOOH electrode while avoiding O2 evo-lution (6).The cells ran for 111 and 141 cycles for the

5 mA cm–2 and 10 mA cm–2 charging cases, re-spectively, before falling below 50% of nominalcycling capacity. Upon >20% capacity fade, typ-ically at >80 cycles, injection of electrolyte orwater into the cathode compartment revives thenonhermetically sealed plastic cells back to nom-inal capacity, demonstrating that the fade arisesfrom dehydration rather than irreversible passiva-tion of either the cycled 3D Zn or Ni electrodes.These Ni–3D Zn cells maintained 100% of the

required discharge capacity for 85 and 65 cycles,respectively, with an average energy efficiency of84% before capacity fading [comparable to the85% energy efficiency found in Li-ion batteries(24)]. The cycling stability achieved in electrolyte-

limited Ni–3D Zn cells stands in contrast to thecapacity fade in commercial products (6) and in3D-inspired designs comprising electrodeposited

Zn coatings on Ni mesh (25). Scanning electronmicrographic analysis of the postcycled Zn sponges(Fig. 3, D to I) reveals uniform restructuring

Parker et al., Science 356, 415–418 (2017) 28 April 2017 2 of 4

Fig. 2. Cycling performance of nickel–3Dzinc cells. (A) Schematic design of the nickel–3D zinc coin cellused in this study. (B) Nickel–3D zinc cells tap >90% of the theoretical Zn capacity upon discharge (blackcircles, at 10mA cm–2) and >95% of that discharged capacity can be recovered upon subsequent recharge(redsquares, at 10mAcm–2)withahalf-cyclevoltagehysteresis of<300mV. (CandD)Thevoltage-timecurvesfor cells discharged at 25mA cm–2 to 40%DODZn and recharged at either (C) 5mA cm–2 or (D) 10mA cm–2.The constant voltage at 1.93 V indicates the potentiostatic region of the charge profile.

Fig. 1. Possibilities with rechargeable Ni–Zn. (A) Schematic of the effect of recharging Ni–Zn (con-ventional powder zinc anodes) versus Ni–3D Zn in which the anode is redesigned as a monolithicaperiodic sponge ensuring persistent 3D wiring of the metallic Zn core. Dendrites that form at powder-composite Zn anodes can reach hundreds of micrometers in length (30, 31). (B) The calculated specificenergy of a fully packaged Ni–Zn cell as a function of increasing Zn depth of discharge versus a capacity-matched NiOOH electrode. The shaded areas highlight the specific energy range of common batterychemistries. For example, at ≥40% DODZn (percentage of theoretical utilization), Ni–Zn becomescompetitive with Li-ion at the single-cell level.

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of the surfaces, the absence of dendrites, andmaintenance of the porosity and interconnec-tivity of the monolithic sponge; some densifi-cation is noted, however, relative to the precycledmicrostructure, Fig. 3, A to C.With a demonstration of pulse-power capa-

bility, Ni–3D Zn could compete in a third fieldof use—replacing lead-acid batteries withinmicrohybrid vehicles. The duty cycles for “start-stop” operation involve pulses for engine startand restart as well as auxiliary constant-use loadssuch as air conditioning and entertainment systems.State-of-the-art start-stop batteries for microhybridvehicles currently use lead-acid cells with ab-sorbed glass mat (AGM) technology. Lead-acidAGM has the advantage of low cost and excel-lent shelf life in the charged state but suffersfrom such disadvantages as low specific and vol-umetric energy, life-cycle concerns due to toxicactive materials (Pb and PbO2) (26), electrolyteinstability in the discharged state (27), and poorercycle life and price point compared with standardSLI (starting-lighting-ignition) lead-acid batteries.To validate the applicability of Ni–3D Zn as a

start-stop battery, we approximated the current-versus-time duty cycle of the BMWmicrohybridbattery (28) as scaled to our typical single-celldimensions (Fig. 4A). We used the following as-sumptions: (i) the specific power of individualNi–3D Zn cells will match that of individual Pb-acid cells within the AGM battery commonly usedin BMW’s microhybrid systems (e.g., Exide EK900);(ii) a scaled-up Ni–3D Zn battery requires eightcells to achieve the necessary voltage (~12 V) andwould therefore deliver 33% more power than

its six-cell Pb-acid counterpart; and (iii) Zn willoccupy 19% of the packaged weight (19). Thethrough-connected void structure of the spongeserves to ameliorate transport limitations underhigh-rate demands (fig. S2), such as those re-quired during the acceleration phase of a start-stop duty cycle.For start-stop batteries to achieve >104 cycles,

it is customary to keep the percentage of capac-ity used intentionally low. Per 4-min duty cycle,the capacity tapped of the Ni–3D Zn coin cellswas kept to <1% DODZn. More than 50,000 cycles(Fig. 4B) were achieved, with cycling stoppedonly when the high load pulse (~65 mA cm–2)reached a preset voltage limit of 0.8 V. With anominal 20 start-stop cycles in a round-trip com-mute, Ni–3D Zn would provide ~2500 days ofstart-stop performance (>6.8 years of daily use),approaching the average 11.4-year age of U.S.cars (29). The cumulative discharge capacity for~54,000 cycles is ~3 times that achieved in the40% DODZn/100+ cycles discussed above. Post-mortem analysis of the months-long-cycled (stillnonhermetically sealed) cells revealed a dry cellconcomitant with an increased cell resistance.The postcycled Zn sponge remains visibly mono-lithic; scanning electron microscopy reveals thatthe pore–solid architecture of the Zn sponge isretained and that no anomalous macroscale den-drites are electrogenerated (Fig. 4C).We then assessed the effect of a 3D Zn anode-

based battery on the energy-storage requirementsof various electric vehicles (EVs). The quantita-tive assessment fixed the energy capacity for eachEV application using the current state of the art

for (i) an electric bicycle (versus standard lead-acid), (ii) a start-stop microhybrid (versus lead-acid AGM), and (iii) an all-electric battery vehicle(versus Li-ion). Weight and volume savings re-sult for all three applications by using Ni–3DZn (Table 1).A projected Ni–3D Zn battery pegged to the

specific capacity of the Nissan Leaf (24 kWh)saves 100 kg of weight. Much of the weight andpotential cost savings with Ni–3D Zn over Li-basedEV batteries come from the reduction or elim-ination of subsystems that are required for Li-ionbattery packs, which include thermal manage-ment, sophisticated electronic controls, and struc-tural protection to manage any catastrophic events.The 3D Zn–based batteries will not require com-parably complex subsystems. The advantages of

Parker et al., Science 356, 415–418 (2017) 28 April 2017 3 of 4

Fig. 3. Postcycling microstructural analysis of 3D Zn sponges. Scanning electron micrographicanalysis of (A to C) precycled and (D to I) postcycled Zn sponges after >100 cycles, verifying thatminimal shape change occurs and no dendrites are formed when the Ni–3D Zn cell is discharged at25 mA cm–2 to 40% DODZn and recharged at either [(D) to (F)] 5 mA cm–2 or [(G) to (I)] 10 mA cm–2.

Fig. 4. Long-term performance of Ni–3D Znsingle cell as cycled under start-stop condi-tions. (A) The current-time duty cycle modeledfrom a BMWAGM start-stop drive cycle (28) scaledto our 1-cm2 Ni–3D Zn coin cells. (B) The mea-sured current-time curves for Ni–3D Zn coin cellsat early (solid line, 4000 cycles) and late (dashedline, 54,000 cycles) points in the 4.5-month-long,nonstop cycling. (C) Micrographic analysis of apostcycled Zn sponge after ~54,000 cycles, whichverifies that minimal shape change occurs and nodendrites are formed.

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Ni–3D Zn–based batteries—not just the projectedrange and cost improvements in EV applications—are augmented by eliminating dangers associ-ated with fire risk from incidents of Li-ionthermal runaway, all while using a nonstrategic,globally available, recyclable natural resource.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and EnZinc, Inc., teams wishto acknowledge the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy(ARPA-E) for financial support (award DE-AR-0000391) and forthe guidance of the ARPA-E staff of the Robust Affordable NextGeneration Energy Storage (RANGE) program. This work wasalso supported by the U.S. Office of Naval Research. M.F.B.and M.M. thank B. Dussia, R. Tarr, K. Dias, and S. Mohanta fortheir essential input, as well as the staff of the VentureGreenhouse green technology incubator for helping assess thecommercial potential of Zn-based batteries equipped with Znsponge anodes. I.R.P. was a Naval Research Laboratory–National Research Council Postdoctoral Associate. D.R.R. servedas technical lead for the project. J.F.P., J.W.L., and D.R.R. oversawexperimental design. J.F.P. and I.R.P. prepared Zn sponges foruse in NiOOH–3D Zn coin cells. C.N.C. harvested the NiOOHcathode and multilayered the charged cathode tape intomulti-ply, Ni foam–held NiOOH cathodes. J.F.P. and I.R.P.assembled NiOOH–3D Zn coin cells and ran charge-dischargecycling experiments. J.F.P., C.N.C., and J.W.L. analyzedelectrochemical data. J.F.P. and C.N.C. collected electronmicrographs of the postcycled Zn sponge anodes. M.F.B.served as project and systems engineering lead for the project.M.M. served as lead for battery design engineering. D.R.R.,J.F.P., and J.W.L. are inventors on patent applicationsUS 2014/0147757 and US 2016/0093890, submitted by theU.S. Department of the Navy, which covers the fabrication of 3Dinterconnected Zn sponges and their use as electrodes inelectrochemical cells.

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS

www.sciencemag.org/content/356/6336/415/suppl/DC1Materials and MethodsFigs. S1 to S3References

26 September 2016; accepted 5 April 201710.1126/science.aak9991

Parker et al., Science 356, 415–418 (2017) 28 April 2017 4 of 4

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Page 5: BATTERIES Rechargeable nickel 3D zinc batteries: An energy … · REPORT BATTERIES Rechargeable nickel–3D zinc batteries: An energy-dense, safer alternative to lithium-ion Joseph

3D zinc batteries: An energy-dense, safer alternative to lithium-ion−Rechargeable nickel

RolisonJoseph F. Parker, Christopher N. Chervin, Irina R. Pala, Meinrad Machler, Michael F. Burz, Jeffrey W. Long and Debra R.

DOI: 10.1126/science.aak9991 (6336), 415-418.356Science 

, this issue p. 415Sciencecompete with lithium ion cells.Alternatively, the sponges can be used to produce secondary batteries that can be cycled thousands of times and canthree-dimensional sponges, it can be used with nickel to form primary batteries that allow for deep discharge.

show that when zinc is formed intoet al.but they have been plagued by the formation of dendrites during cycling. Parker well as concerns about material availability. Aqueous rechargeable batteries based on zinc might provide an alternative,

Although lithium-based batteries are ubiquitous, there are still challenges related to their longevity and safety, asZinc can compete with lithium

ARTICLE TOOLS http://science.sciencemag.org/content/356/6336/415

MATERIALSSUPPLEMENTARY http://science.sciencemag.org/content/suppl/2017/04/26/356.6336.415.DC1

REFERENCES

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