CANBERRA, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Researchers in Australia have developed a rechargeable zinc-iodine battery, offering a potentially safer and more sustainable alternative to popular lithium-ion batteries for large-scale energy storage.
The aqueous zinc-iodine battery, described in the journal Angewandte Chemie, can be charged and discharged over 60,000 cycles, according to a statement released Friday by Australia's Flinders University.
Iodine is an effective rechargeable battery material, with a potential energy storage capacity of about 211 mAh/g (milliampere-hours per gram). However, one of the biggest challenges with this new battery technology is stopping iodine species from moving to places it shouldn't inside the unit, the statement said.
The new battery uses a low-cost organic cyclodextrin-based polymer that helps store and control key chemicals, allowing it to charge quickly while maintaining performance. When fully charged in seven minutes, it can operate at 1.3 to 1.4 volts with a capacity of 200 mAh/g over 8,000 cycles, or charged in just three minutes and last for more than 60,000 cycles at 150 mAh/g, researchers said.
The unique structure of cyclodextrins acts like a cage, locking iodine compounds in place and preventing them from disrupting the battery's operation, they said, adding that zinc is a low-cost and widely available metal, with Australia holding the world's largest known zinc reserves.
The technology could provide a more sustainable option as demand for lithium-ion batteries rises, driven by electric vehicles and portable electronic devices, the study showed.
The team is now working with industry to establish a prototyping platform for the alternative battery system. ■