Large-scale Applications Research Articles

Water/DMSO-Based Hybrid Electrolyte and Urea Additive Engineering for Performance Regulation in Aqueous Sodium Batteries

Electrochemical energy storage devices are of interest, especially aqueous sodium ion batteries (ASIBs), due to their safety, low-cost, and environmental friendliness. However, ASIBs suffer from poor cyclic stability and a narrow electrochemical window, which hinders their large-scale application. Compared to the traditional dilute saline electrolytes, high concentration electrolytes show a wider potential window. In this study, we designed a novel NaClO4-H2O/DMSO-Urea hybrid electrolyte to suppress these problems, in which DMSO and Urea create a synergistic effect. The formation of hydrogen bonds between DMSO and H2O reduced water activity, thereby suppressing the hydrogen evolution reaction. The addition of DMSO resulted in the reduction from −1.2 to −1.6 V for the hydrogen evolution potential. Therefore, we were able to expand the electrochemical window on the basis of reducing the concentration of sodium salts. Moreover, the addition of Urea facilitated formation of a stable solid electrolyte interface on the electrode surface, which improved the cycling stability of NVP/C (Na3V2(PO3)4/C) symmetric cell which exhibited a specific capacity of 59.7 mAh g−1 with the retention capacity of 80.1% after 200 cycles at 1 C. This work points out a promising strategy for developing stable and wide voltage aqueous electrolyte.

Membrane filtration enhanced by magnetic field for reducing endotoxin from dialysis water

AimThis study investigates the impact of magnetic field-assisted filtration on endotoxin reduction in dialysis water, focusing on the efficacy of ultrafiltration and nanofiltration membranes. MethodsThe starting material was synthetic water with a known amount of endotoxin (0.48 EU/ml). The experiment was conducted in a small-lab-scale unit, likely to test and optimize the purification method before large-scale application. Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) assay is a standard test used to detect and quantify endotoxin levels in liquids. ResultsThe study found that all treatment strategies effectively reduced endotoxin levels, with the best treatment being a third hybrid treatment involving magnetic field, UF, and NF exposure. This kind of treatment reduced the endotoxin from 0.169 ± 0.09 EU/ml to 0.06 ± 0.06 EU/ml at an exposure time of 20 min for a magnetic field. ConclusionThe integration of magnetically treated water in dialysis treatment plants holds promise for enhancing the quality of dialysis fluid and aligning with international standards. By employing physical methods like magnetic treatment, facilities can address concerns surrounding water purity in dialysis, which is crucial for patient safety and treatment effectiveness.

Distributed Graph Processing in Cloud Computing: A Review of Large-Scale Graph Analytics

The rapid growth of graph data in various domains has propelled the need for efficient distributed graph processing techniques in cloud computing environments. This paper presents a comprehensive review of distributed graph processing for graph analytics of massive size in the context of cloud computing. The paper begins by highlighting the challenges associated with distributed graph processing, including load balancing, communication overhead, scalability, and partitioning strategies. It provides an overview of existing frameworks and tools specifically designed for distributed graph processing in cloud environments. Furthermore, the review encompasses various techniques and algorithms employed in distributed graph processing. The paper also reviews recent research advancements in optimizing distributed graph processing in cloud computing. To provide practical insights, the paper presents a comparative analysis of representative large-scale graph analytics applications implemented on different cloud computing platforms. Performance, scalability, and efficiency metrics are evaluated under varying workload sizes and graph characteristics. Overall, this comprehensive review paper serves as a highly prized asset for researchers and large-scale graph analytics professionals who are practitioners in the field. It provides a holistic understanding of the state-of-the-art distributed graph processing techniques in cloud computing and guides future research efforts towards more efficient and scalable graph processing in cloud environments.

Synthesis and Characterization of SiO2-Based Graphene Nanoballs Using Copper-Vapor-Assisted APCVD for Thermoelectric Application.

This study describes a method by which to synthesize SiO2-based graphene nanoballs (SGB) using atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) with copper vapor assistance. This method should solve the contamination, damage, and high costs associated with silica-based indirect graphene synthesis. The SGB was synthesized using APCVD, which was optimized using the Taguchi method. Multiple synthesis factors were optimized and investigated to find the ideal synthesis condition to grow SGB for thermoelectric (TE) applications. Raman spectra and FESEM-EDX reveal that the graphene formed on the silicon nanoparticles (SNP) is free from copper. The prepared SGB has excellent electrical conductivity (75.0 S/cm), which shows better results than the previous report. Furthermore, the SGB nanofillers in bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) nanocomposites as TE materials exhibit a significant increment in Seebeck coefficients (S) compared to the pure Bi2Te3 sample from 109 to 170 μV/K at 400 K, as well as electrical resistivity decrement. This approach would offer a simple strategy to improve the TE performance of commercially available TE materials, which is critical for large-scale industrial applications.

Multiple Natural Polymers in Drug and Gene Delivery Systems.

Natural polymers are organic compounds produced by living organisms. In nature, they exist in three main forms, including proteins, polysaccharides, and nucleic acids. In recent years, with the continuous research on drug and gene delivery systems, scholars have found that natural polymers have promising applications in drug and gene delivery systems due to their excellent properties such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, low immunogenicity, and easy modification. However, since the structure, physicochemical properties, pharmacological properties and biological characteristics of biopolymer molecules have not yet been entirely understood, further studies are required before large-scale clinical application. This review focuses on recent advances in the representative natural polymers such as proteins (albumin, collagen, elastin), polysaccharides (chitosan, alginate, cellulose) and nucleic acids. We introduce the characteristics of various types of natural polymers, and further outline the characterization methods and delivery forms of these natural polymers. Finally, we discuss possible challenges for natural polymers in subsequent experimental studies and clinical applications. It provides an important strategy for the clinical application of natural polymers in drug and gene delivery systems.

Experimental Study of Magnetron’s Power-Pulled Characteristic to Realize a Quasi-Dual-Frequency Microwave Output

This article presents experimental evidence demonstrating the feasibility of implementing a quasi-dual-frequency microwave signal generator using a 1 kW commercial magnetron. The injection-pulled magnetron may generate quasi-dual-frequency output with nearly identical amplitudes by injecting signal at specific powers and frequencies out of the Adler locking band. This generator offers the advantage of developing a large-power and tunable quasi-dual-frequency signal at low cost and with simple implementation. In the present study, a tunable quasi-dual-frequency signal with a frequency interval ranging from 0.48 MHz to 13.74 MHz is generated experimentally. Furthermore, the effects of anode voltage ripples on the dual-frequency outputs are experimentally investigated. An empirical relationship between the frequency interval and injection ratio is obtained and presented. In addition, neither the output power nor the efficiency of the magnetron in the dual-frequency mode decreases. This research is promising for improving microwave heating uniformity in large-scale industrial applications.

Few-Shot Synthetic Online Transfer Learning for Cross-Site Neurological Disease Diagnosis

Cross-site datasets expand the data size and could improve the disease diagnosis capabilities of machine learning models. However, differences in data distribution between different sites can lead to poor model generalizability. Although transfer learning is a mainstream method often used to tackle the issue, most transfer learning studies assume that all the target samples are given in the training procedure, which is not available in clinical applications where the target samples arrive sequentially. Online transfer learning (OTL) aims to accomplish clinical diagnostic tasks by adaptively updating the ensemble model containing source and target classifiers. However, OTL is limited by zero initialization and requires numbers of samples to iterate. This results in the underperformance of OTL in clinical applications where few samples can be obtained. In this article, we propose a new framework named few-shot synthetic OTL (FSOTL) to address this issue. FSOTL uses synthetic data to warm up the model in an online fashion. It not only alleviates the problem of scarcity of samples in the target domain but also enables the model to gain more knowledge. Our experiments show that FSOTL performs more stably and achieves more accurate results with few target samples, thereby offering a promising cross-site online computer-aided diagnosis system for large-scale applications.

Transformer-Based Nowcasting of Radar Composites from Satellite Images for Severe Weather

Abstract Weather radar data are critical for nowcasting and an integral component of numerical weather prediction models. While weather radar data provide valuable information at high resolution, their ground-based nature limits their availability, which impedes large-scale applications. In contrast, meteorological satellites cover larger domains but with coarser resolution. However, with the rapid advancements in data-driven methodologies and modern sensors aboard geostationary satellites, new opportunities are emerging to bridge the gap between ground- and space-based observations, ultimately leading to more skillful weather prediction with high accuracy. Here, we present a transformer-based model for nowcasting ground-based radar image sequences using satellite data up to 2-h lead time. Trained on a dataset reflecting severe weather conditions, the model predicts radar fields occurring under different weather phenomena and shows robustness against rapidly growing/decaying fields and complex field structures. Model interpretation reveals that the infrared channel centered at 10.3 μm (C13) contains skillful information for all weather conditions, while lightning data have the highest relative feature importance in severe weather conditions, particularly in shorter lead times. The model can support precipitation nowcasting across large domains without an explicit need for radar towers, enhance numerical weather prediction and hydrological models, and provide radar proxy for data-scarce regions. Moreover, the open-source framework facilitates progress toward operational data-driven nowcasting. Significance Statement Ground-based weather radar data are essential for nowcasting, but data availability limitations hamper usage of radar data across large domains. We present a machine learning model, rooted in transformer architecture, that performs nowcasting of radar data using high-resolution geostationary satellite retrievals, for lead times of up to 2 h. Our model captures the spatiotemporal dynamics of radar fields from satellite data and offers accurate forecasts. Analysis indicates that the infrared channel centered at 10.3 μm provides useful information for nowcasting radar fields under various weather conditions. However, lightning activity exhibits the highest forecasting skill for severe weather at short lead times. Our findings show the potential of transformer-based models for nowcasting severe weather.

Construction of SiO2–SiC/C composite absorber based on coal hydrogenation semi coke

In-situ catalytic generation of SiC coating on coal hydrogenation semi coke (SC, a new type of solid waste) was fabricated via the sol-gel coating, in-situ catalytic and subsequent high-temperature solid-phase reaction methods. The specific composition, microstructure, catalytic formation mechanism of SiC/C composite had been systematically investigated. The analysis results had proven that the loading Ni nanoparticles as catalyst favored the in-situ formation of SiC layer on SC, and significantly decreased the initial and complete reaction temperature of SiC. In particularly, the introduction of SiC had effectively improved the microwave absorption (MA) performances of composites. For the sample SiO2/SiC/C, its optimal reflection loss peak value (RLmin = −20.4 dB) and effective absorption bandwidth (EABmax = 3.92 GHz) were achieved at the matched thickness of 2.0 mm. Whereas the RLmin peak of −30.5 dB at the frequency of 4.06 GHz, and the EABmax of 3.68 GHz within the coating thickness of 2.0 mm had obtained for SiC/C samples. All results confirmed that the in-situ formation of SiC was beneficial for the regulation of impedance matching for the single carbon material, realizing the superior MA properties of SiC/C absorber. Furthermore, the successful fabrication of SiO2/SiC/C and SiC/C absorbers, in-situ ceramic phase loading low-cost carbon, provide the possibility for the large-scale application in the field of MA for SC, and expect to implement the environmental protection strategy of “waste in waste”.

Polymer based multi-layer Al composite current collector improves battery safety

The safety problem obstructs the large-scale application of high energy batteries. Instantaneous short circuit at millisecond triggers uncontrollable thermal runaway in high energy batteries. Herein, to shut down the short circuit at early stage, we accomplish the safety design using composite current collector that spontaneously breaks due to its heterogeneous ductility. The composite current collector has a core with high ductility (the polyethylene terephthalate base), and a skin with low ductility (multi-layer metal). Controlled oxygen is introduced when evaporating aluminum atoms onto the polyethylene terephthalate base, therefore the skin layer will be composed of aluminum and aluminum-oxide layers in staggered rows. The multi-layer skin is more susceptible to crack under the mesoscopic deformation than the plastic core, thereby preventing short circuit by cutting off the pathway of electrons. The cell assembled by the multi-layer composite current collector can pass the nail penetration test without spark, fire and explosion, while the cell with pure current collector and composite current collector with single layer skin cannot. The assembled cell has comparable electrochemical performance (88% capacity retention after 450 cycles) with the reference cell. This work affords novel ideas for the high safety structural design of high energy batteries.

Recent Progress in Developing High-Performance Anode Materials for Next-Generation Sodium-Ion Batteries

Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have attracted great attention due to their large-scale energy storage applications such as electric vehicles (EVs) and grid-scale energy storage systems (ESSs). The ongoing transition towards EVs has accelerated ever-increasing demand for LIBs that causes the shortage of lithium metal resources and their expensive price. Therefore, great efforts have been made to exploit an alternative system that replaces the conventional LIBs. While sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) can be the most evident alternatives to LIBs based on the natural abundance and low cost of sodium resources, the major scientific challenges reside in developing the new anode materials due to the poor performance of conventional LIB anodes in Na cells, such as graphite and silicon. This article reviews the potential of SIBs as promising alternatives to LIBs and recent progress in developing high-performance anode materials for SIBs. The strengths and drawbacks of recently developed anode materials have been discussed, including graphite, hard carbon, silicon, phosphorus, and other transition metal compounds such as oxides, phosphides, and sulfides.

Sulfur-Defect-Induced TiS1.94 as a High-Capacity and Long-Life Anode Material for Zinc-Ion Batteries.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) are competitive among the elective candidates for electrochemical energy storage systems, but the intrinsic drawbacks of zinc metal anodes such as dendrites and corrosion severely hinder their large-scale application. Developing alternative anode materials capable of high reversibility and stability for storing Zn2+ ions is a feasible approach to circumvent the challenge. Herein, a sulfur-defect-induced TiS1.94 (D-TiS1.94) as a promising intercalation anode material for ZIBs is designed. The abundant Zn2+-storage active sites and lower Zn2+ migration barrier induced by sulfur defects endow D-TiS1.94 with a high capacity for Zn2+-storage (219.1 mA h g-1 at 0.05 A g-1) and outstanding rate capability (107.3 mA h g-1 at 5 A g-1). In addition, a slight volume change of 8.1% is identified upon Zn2+ storage, which favors a prolonged cycling life (50.3% capacity remaining in 1500 cycles). More significantly, the D-TiS1.94||ZnxMnO2 full battery demonstrates a high discharge capacity of 155.7 mA h g-1 with a capacity retention of 59.8% in 400 cycles. It has been estimated that the high-capacity, low-operation voltage, and long-life D-TiS1.94 can be a promising component of the ZIB anode material family, and the strategy proposed in this work will provide guidance to the defect engineering of high-performance electrode materials toward energy storage applications.

Layer-stacked polyaniline/silver nanowire composite film for multicolor electrochromic smart windows with dual-band optical modulation

Dual-band electrochromic smart windows (DESWs) have attracted widely concern for their potential in significantly reducing building energy consumption by selectively controlling near-infrared (NIR) and visible light (VIS) transmittance. However, its monotonous color changes limit its large-scale application. In this study, we designed a DESW based on the layer-stacked polyaniline (PANI)/silver Nanowires (Ag NWs) composite films. When PANI films is stacked layer by layer with Ag NWs, it not only performs dual band regulation, but also exhibits impressive electrochromic performance with rich color conversions (light yellow, yellow-green and blue-black). The four-layer PANI/Ag NWs composite film outperformed the pure single-layer PANI film because of the faster electron transfer, its coloring time and bleaching time at 525 nm were shortened to 6.7 s and 18.0 s, respectively, and the coloring efficiency was increased to 45.5 cm2 C-1. After 2500 cycles, the PANI/Ag NWs films tend to have better cycle stability. Therefore, the incorporation of Ag NWs enhances the electrochromic performance of PANI films, providing valuable insights for advancing single-component organic electrochromic materials.

Hierarchical electroactive ion permselective membrane with electrochemical switched ion pump effect for continuous lithium-ion recovery

Highly selective extraction of lithium ions (Li+) from salt-lake brines is crucial to mitigate lithium supply shortages. In this work, a novel electrochemically switched lithium ion permselective membrane (ESLPM) was rationally designed through an ingenious tactic with an electroactive layer of lithium manganate (LiMn2O4) as the active radical and a dense and positively charged polyamide (PA) on each side of polyethersulfone (PES) substrate for the rapid and selective separation of Li+ from salt-lake brines with high Mg/Li ratios. Here, the reversible uptake/release and enhancement electro-sorption selectivity of Li+ are controlled by changing the electrochemical potential of the membrane with an ion-pump effect coupling with the electric field to achieve the continuous recovery of Li+. As a result, the flux of Li+ in the optimum hierarchical ESLPM-240 of the electrochemically switched ion permselective (ESIP) membrane separation system reached 0.032 mol m−2 h−1 for the separation of Li+ from the salt lake brine with a high Mg/Li ratio (Mg2+/Li+ = 20), which is 25% higher than in electrodialysis (ED) system. Meanwhile, by constructing a hierarchical structure, the separation factor of Li+/Mg2+ was increased to 7.8 under the ESIP system, which is about 3.5 times higher that of PA layer, and about 2.2 times higher than that of the electroactive layer. In addition, theoretical calculation confirmed that electroactive LiMn2O4 and positively charged PA layers are more favorable for Li+ transport when compared to Mg2+. Besides, the ESLPM-240 exhibited excellent long-term stability, indicating that the proposed strategy is promising for large-scale industrial applications in the Li+ extraction from salt lakes.

Treatment of simulated brominated butyl rubber wastewater using monovalent anion perm-selective membranes through selective electrodialysis

Selective electrodialysis (SED) technology utilizing monovalent anion perm-selective membranes (MAPMs) has potential in resource recovery and wastewater treatment. However, the development and production of homogeneous MAPMs with high performance and scalability pose significant challenges. This study successfully scaling up a poly(alkyl-biphenyl pyridinium)-based MAPM suitable for large-scale SED applications and applies it to the treatment of mono-/di-valent anion wastewater. The pilot-scale membrane exhibits significantly higher perm-selectivity for various mixed anion systems compared to the commercial ACS membrane, and under the conditions of a current density of 40 mA cm−2, an initial dilute chamber solution of 3 L 0.5 mol/L NaCl, and a constant concentration chamber volume of 0.2 L, the pilot-scale membrane achieves a salt (NaCl) concentration of 18.6 wt% in just 70 mins in the membrane stack, with an energy consumption of 0.38 kWh kg−1. Furthermore, simulated brominated butyl rubber wastewater is treated with the aim of refining NaBr and separating SO42- ions. Several factors, such as applied voltage, initial concentration of the dilute chamber solution, feed flow rate, and dilute-to-concentrated chamber volume ratio are investigated to assess their effects on the treatment results. By continuously optimizing the operating conditions, a NaBr product with a concentration ratio of 6.2 and a purity of 97.8 % was obtained, with the Br- ion flux of 3.24 mol m-2 h−1 and an energy consumption of 0.319 kWh kg−1.

Improving the anti-coking ability in the Ni-M(M = Ce, Zr, Co)@SiO2 yolk-shell catalysts for dry reforming of methane

Dry methane reforming (DRM) represents a highly promising approach to greenhouse gas conversion (CO2 and CH4) to valuable byproducts. However, severe carbon deposition and catalyst deactivation inhibit large-scale applications. The work designed new catalysts with a yolk-shell structure using the water-in-oil microemulsion method. The catalysts were composed of a yolk-shell structure, with Ni-M as the active point and silica as the shell. The catalytic performance evaluation indicates that the Ni-M @SiO2 catalysts show higher CH4 and CO2 conversion compared with the Ni@SiO2 and conventional catalysts at 750 ℃, suggesting the yolk-shell structure and added M species enhance the DRM activity. The XRD, HRTEM, XPS, BET, H2-TPR, and CO2-TPD analysis confirmed the existence of yolk-shell configuration and evident electronic effect among Ni, M species, and SiO2. The long term measurements indicate that the added M species also bring higher carbon deposition tolerance for DRM, where Ni-Ce@SiO2 and Ni-Zr@SiO2 exhibit good structural and catalytic stability for DRM over 100 h. Through XRD, TEM, and TGA characterizations of the exhausted catalysts, it is determined that the coke deposition resistance of the catalyst is improved as a result of increased oxygen mobility and enhanced Ni dispersion on the catalytic surface, both of which are enhanced by the added Ce species. The structural analysis of the spent catalysts indicates that the tolerance of carbon deposition is improved by the yolk-shell samples. This study can offer valuable insights for the development of Ni-based catalysts with exceptional carbon deposition capability for DRM.

Experimental study on performance, hydration, and sustainability of coal gasification coarse slag based geopolymers for sustainable environment

The large-scale application of coal gasification technology generates a large amount of coal gasification coarse slag (CGCS) difficult to treat. In this study, low-carbon geopolymers (CGRC) were produced using CGCS and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) as precursors, whereas red mud (RM) and carbide slag (CS) served as solid waste activators. The effects of the binder/activator, RM/CS and CGCS/GGBS ratios and the curing age on the compressive strength, setting time, heavy metal leaching, XRD, SEM-EDS, TG-DTG, FTIR, and LF NMR of CGCS-based geopolymers were investigated, and the hydration mechanism of CGRC geopolymer was disclosed. The results showed that the binder/activator ratio had a negligible effect on the ultimate compressive strength (UCS), the RM/CS ratio had a noticeable impact on the compressive strength and setting time, and increasing the GGBS content significantly improved the performance of CGCS-based geopolymers. Therefore, the synergistic effect of RM and CS led to the activation of CGCS and GGBS. The main hydration products were N-A-S-H, N/C-A-S-H, C-A-S-H gel, CH, and CaCO3. Furthermore, the decrease of the RM/CS ratio which promoted the gel transformation from metastable N-A-S-H to N/C-A-S-H configuration and then to stable C-A-S-H state, finally forming a denser gel matrix. The amounts of various heavy metals leached from CGCS-based geopolymers were even lower than those required by the national standards; therefore the material met the requirements for environmental protection. Furthermore, all raw materials belong to solid waste, which reduces carbon emissions.

Single well geothermal heating systems: Technical and economic assessment of two widely-used configurations

Benefiting from the closed wellbore space, the single well geothermal heating system (SWGHS) could avoid a large number of environmental problems compared to conventional geothermal systems. Combined with heat pump, this technology is attracting growing interest for the development of district heating based on medium-depth geothermal resources. Efforts of the scientific community and of business operators now focus on the technical optimization and commercial viability of the different SWGHS concepts already available. Here, we numerically investigate the heat extraction performance of a butted- and a vertical-well SWGHS possibly operational in a geothermal prospect area in Xi’an, central China. We addressed the performance of the two systems in terms of outlet temperature, heat production rate, heating area, and economic benefits. Sensitivity analysis suggests that large circulation rates and low inlet temperatures have beneficial effects on both thermal efficiency and economic benefits of the project. Our integrated technical and economic analysis suggests that the butted-well SWGHS configuration is particularly suitable for long-run, large-scale applications, compared to the vertical-well design. This work can provide valuable references for the applications of SWGHS, which is of criterial importance for reaching carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals.

Fluorinated solvent molecule tuning to improve electrochemical performances of low-concentration electrolyte

The development of low-concentration electrolyte has a favorable application prospect due to its advantages of saving lithium resources. However, the large-scale application is limited by the formation of high-impedance organic electrode/electrolyte interphase (EEI) and the higher desolvation energy of Li+. Herein, a mixed flurorinated solvents of ethyl difluoroacetate (2F) / ethyl trifluoroacetate (3F) (3:7, in volume ratio) is designed to adjust the interaction between Li+ and the solvents, so as to achieve performance improvements of the low-concentration electrolyte system containing 0.5 M LiPF6. Results shows that 2F solvent greatly weakens the interaction between Li+ and the solvents, and 3F solvent further promotes anions to enter the solvation sheath to form Li(2F)3.0(PF6−)2.3(3F)0.5 structure. It promotes the Li+ desolvation, and brings about the formation of a LiF-rich cathode-electrolyte interface film on the surface of LiFePO4 (LFP) cathode due to the HOMO of the 2F solvent in the solvation sheath of Li+ will be increase as the involvement of PF6− in the solvation sheath of Li+. As a result, the cycling stability and rate performance (130 mAh g−1 at 4 C) of the LFP/Li half-cell are significantly improved. This work provides a new strategy to improve the electrochemical performances of low-concentration electrolytes by fluorinated solvent molecule tuning.

Acidity-Aided Surface Modification Strategy to Enhance In Situ MnO2 Deposition for High Performance Zn-MnO2 Battery Prototypes.

Zn-MnO2 batteries offer cost-effective, eco-friendly, and efficient solutions for large-scale energy storage applications. However, challenges, like irreversible cathode reactions, prolonged cyclability, and electrolyte stability during high-voltage operations limit their broader application. This study provides insight into the charge-discharge process through in situ deposition of active β-MnO2 nanoflakes on a carbon-based current collector. The study elucidates the effect of pH and electrolyte concentration on chemical conversion reactions with Zn, in particular focus on their impact on the two-electron MnO2/Mn2+ reaction crucial for high voltage operation. The electrolyte, characterized by being relatively lean in Mn2+ and with a targeted low pH, enables extended cycling. This research achieves greater cycling durability by integratinga carbon-based cathode current collector with high density of structural defects in combination with cell architectures suitable for large-scale energy storage. A flooded stack-type Zn-MnO2 battery prototype employing the optimized electrolyte demonstrates a high discharge voltage (≈2V) at a substantial discharge current rate of 10mAcm-2. The battery exhibits an impressive areal capacity of ≈2mAhcm-2, maintaining ≈100% capacity retention over 400cycles. This research establishes a promising practical, and cost-effective cathode-free design for Zn-MnO2 batteries, that minimizes additional processing and assembly costs.