High-sulfur loading and single ion-selective membranes for high-energy and durable decoupled aqueous batteries

• Main Authors: Zhang, Xinyuan, Zhang, Bao, Yang, Jin-Lin, Wu, Jiawen, Jiang, Heng, Du, Fei, Fan, Hong Jin
• Other Authors: School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2024
• Subjects: Physics; Decoupled batteries; High sulfur loading
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/173950
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The decoupled battery design is promising for breaking the energy density limit of traditional aqueous batteries. However, the complex battery configuration and low-selective separator membranes restrict their energy output and service time. Herein, a zinc-sulfur decoupled aqueous battery is achieved by designing a high-mass loading sulfur electrode and single ion-selective membrane (ISM). A vertically assembled nanosheet network constructed with the assistance of a magnetic field enables facile electron and ion conduction in thick sulfur electrodes, which is conducive to boosting the cell-level energy output. For the tailored ISM, the Na ions anchored on its skeleton effectively prevent the crossover of OH- or Cu2+ , facilitating the transport of Na+ and ensuring structural and mechanical stability. Consequently, the Zn-S aqueous battery achieves a reversible energy density of 3988 Wh kgs -1 (by sulfur mass), stable operation over 300 cycles, and an energy density of 53.2 mWh cm-2 . The sulfur-based decoupled system may be of immediate benefit toward safe, reliable, and affordable static energy storage.