Abstract
In search for the next generation of battery technology, rechargeable aqueous zinc-air systems present very attractive power sources due to high specific energy, safety, environmental compatibility and low cost of components and active materials. Nonetheless these systems have not yet been commercialised as they suffer from a short cycle life that prohibits their use for large electrical storage applications that require thousands of deep discharge cycles. One of the key factors responsible for shortened cycle life is dendritic growth occurring during the system charge. Dendrites can grow sufficiently wide to cause an internal short-circuit between the anode and the cathode. While extensive work has been carried out to study and mitigate zinc dendrite formation; real time dendritic growth mechanisms remain poorly understood X-ray micro/nano tomography methods can provide unique insights into operation, degradation and failure of electrochemical energy storage and generation devices and systems. We implemented synchrotron x-ray tomography to investigate the mechanism and kinetics of dendrite formation and dissolution during zinc-air system operation. The dendrite growth and dissolution was analysed in-operando in radiography mode while three-dimensional characterisation of dendrites on top of the zinc electrode was carried out based on set of reconstructed multiple tomographic projections (Figure 1). Additionally individual dendrites have been analysed by high resolution FIBSEM. As such, an ability to actively track the mechanisms of growth and dissolution of dendrites form a critical basis if we are to extend the cycle life of metal-air batteries. Figure 1
Published Version
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