Quasi-solid-state Zn-air batteries with an atomically dispersed cobalt electrocatalyst and organohydrogel electrolyte

Abstract

Quasi-solid-state Zn-air batteries are usually limited to relatively low-rate ability (<10 mA cm−2), which is caused in part by sluggish oxygen electrocatalysis and unstable electrochemical interfaces. Here we present a high-rate and robust quasi-solid-state Zn-air battery enabled by atomically dispersed cobalt sites anchored on wrinkled nitrogen doped graphene as the air cathode and a polyacrylamide organohydrogel electrolyte with its hydrogen-bond network modified by the addition of dimethyl sulfoxide. This design enables a cycling current density of 100 mA cm−2 over 50 h at 25 °C. A low-temperature cycling stability of over 300 h (at 0.5 mA cm−2) with over 90% capacity retention at −60 °C and a broad temperature adaptability (−60 to 60 °C) are also demonstrated.