Efficient Low Temperature Performance of All Solid‐State Zinc‐Air Batteries with MnCo2O4/Carbon Fiber Bifunctional Electrocatalyst and Poly(Acrylic Acid) (PAA) Gel Polymer Electrolyte

Low temperature all solid-state zinc-air batteries: MnCo₂O₄ coated carbon fibers were used to prepare a highly efficient homemade air electrode for all solid state zinc-air batteries with PAA-KOH gel polymer electrolyte. The battery performance was evaluated at subzero temperatures. This battery fully charged and discharged at all temperatures with outstanding low temperature performance.

Abstract

Spinel type MnCo₂O₄ coated on asphaltene based carbon fibers (MnCo₂O₄/CF) was used as the electrode material/electrocatalyst for air electrodes for zinc-air batteries (ZABs). The batteries were assembled using an alkaline poly(acrylic acid) hydrogel electrolyte. The low temperature battery performance of the prepared ZAB cells was studied in terms of charge/discharge voltage and efficiency at different current densities, cycle life, power density, and cell voltage at temperatures between −45 °C and 21 °C. At all temperatures, the ZABs successfully completed 200 cycles of charge/discharge (100 h) at 2 mA cm⁻² which is double the current density reported in the recent literature. The maximum power densities at 0 and −45 °C were 75 and 12 mW cm⁻², respectively. The good performance is attributed to the porous design of the air electrode and the use of an efficient electrocatalyst and an optimized gel polymer electrolyte.

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