Triphasic Bi heterointerfaces drive cycling exceeding 1650 h and high-power zinc-air batteries

doi:10.1016/S1872-2067(26)65052-8

Abstract

Abstract:

Rechargeable zinc-air batteries (ZABs) suffer from poor reversibility of Zn anode due to dendrite formation and parasitic side reactions, severely limiting their practical deployment. Here we report an interfacial engineering strategy that integrates three Bi components: metallic Bi⁰, atomic Bi-N_x sites, and Bi₂O₃ nanocrystals, anchored within a nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon framework. This triphasic Bi interphase delivers collective synergistic effects by: (1) homogenizing Zn²⁺ nucleation, (2) accelerating Zn plating/stripping kinetics, and (3) suppressing hydrogen evolution and interfacial corrosion. Density functional theory calculations confirm that the Bi₂O₃/Bi heterointerface exhibits strong zincophilicity, markedly lowering the nucleation energy barrier and enabling uniform Zn deposition. Benefiting from these collective interfacial effects, symmetric cells with s-Bi₂O₃/Bi-NC@Zn anodes sustain dendrite-free cycling for over 520 h at 10 mA cm^-2, with negligible polarization growth. When assembled into ZABs, the engineered anodes deliver an ultrahigh power density of 829.3 mW cm^-2 and an extended lifetime of 1650 h at 5 mA cm^-2 with 80% voltage efficiency. This work establishes a triphasic Bi-based interfacial design as a powerful strategy to achieve highly reversible Zn anodes and offers a generalizable approach for advancing metal-based batteries.

Key words: Bi₂O₃/Bi heterointerface, Bi single atom, Dendrite inhibition, Surface modification, Zn anode, Zn-air battery

Lingyu Dai, Benji Zhou, Nengneng Xu, Luwei Peng, Heming Liu, Zhengxiao Guo, Jinli Qiao. Triphasic Bi heterointerfaces drive cycling exceeding 1650 h and high-power zinc-air batteries[J]. Chinese Journal of Catalysis, 2026, 86: 315-326.

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URL: https://www.cjcatal.com/EN/10.1016/S1872-2067(26)65052-8

https://www.cjcatal.com/EN/Y2026/V86/I7/315

Figures/Tables 6

Scheme 1. Preparation route of s-Bi2O3/Bi-NC@Zn.

Fig. 1. Synthesis and characterization of s-Bi3O2/Bi-NC material. (a) SEM image. (b) XRD patterns. (c) Raman patterns. (d) TEM image (Inset: elemental mapping of C, N, O, and Bi). (e) N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms and inset pore-distribution plots. (f) XPS Bi 4f (top) and O 1s spectra (bottom). (g) HAADF-STEM image. Bi L3-edge XANES (h) and EXAFS spectra (i).

Fig. 2. Electrochemical characterization and deposition behavior of bare Zn and s-Bi2O3/Bi-NC@Zn electrodes. (a) A cross-section SEM image of the s-Bi2O3/Bi-NC@Zn electrode. Chronoamperometry curves (b), Tafel plots (c), and CV curves (d). Rate performance at different current densities (e) and at different areal capacities (f). (g) Cycling performance at 10 mA cm-2 and 1 mAh cm-2, with enlarged voltage profiles shown. Voltage-time profiles (h) and a schematic illustration of the sedimentation behavior (i).

Fig. 3. Dynamic contact angles of 2.0 M ZnSO4 electrolyte on bare Zn electrode (a) and s-Bi2O3/Bi-NC@Zn (b) electrode. (c) XRD patterns of bare Zn electrode and s-Bi2O3/Bi-NC@Zn electrode before and after 10 cycles. Cross-sectional SEM images of the electrodes after 10, 20, and 50 cycles: bare Zn (d) and s-Bi2O3/Bi-NC@Zn (e).

Fig. 4. Optimized structures of Zn adsorbed on the surfaces of Bi(SA)-NC (a,b), Bi(SS)-NC (c), Bi2O3-NC (d), and s-Bi2O3/Bi-NC (e) from top view. (f) The corresponding calculated binding energies of various samples.

Fig. 5. Electrochemical performance of aqueous ZABs assembled with bare Zn and s-Bi2O3/Bi-NC@Zn anodes. (a) Schematic structure of a ZAB. (b) Discharge polarization and power density plots. (c) ASR plots. (d) Long-term discharge profiles (Inset: the s-Bi2O3/Bi-NC@Zn-based ZAB powering an LED display). Charge-discharge polarization curves (e) and the corresponding terminal voltage values (f) at 125 mA cm-2. (g) Galvanostatic charge-discharge cycling curves and corresponding magnified voltage profiles.

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