By using a method commonly found in pharmaceutical science to enhance drug solubility, a research team in the Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has developed eco-friendly electrolytes to create high-performance and long-lasting zinc batteries.
Although lithium-ion batteries have become the preferred power source in cellphones, laptops, and electric cars, their high-performing organic electrolytes are both flammable and toxic. On the other hand, aqueous zinc battery electrolytes are non-flammable and don’t pose any significant risk of explosion. However, zinc batteries have a shorter lifespan due to the accumulation of zinc crystals at the battery’s anode, and existing methods to mitigate this buildup often raise environmental sustainability issues.
