Lifeng Dong, the Emma K. and Carl R. N. Malmstrom Endowed Chair in Physics, is collaborating with researchers at Qingdao University of Science and Technology in China to develop next-generation zinc-air batteries with improved energy efficiency, durability and performance. Two studies highlighting significant advances in sustainable energy storage technologies were recently published in journals.
The first study, “Photoinduced Interfacial Electronic Modulation in Fe₂O₃–BiVO₄ Heterostructures for Enhanced Photo-Assisted Zn-Air Batteries,” explores how solar energy can be integrated into zinc-air batteries to improve their performance. By developing innovative light-responsive nanomaterials, the research team demonstrated enhanced battery power output, energy storage capacity and improved stability when exposed to light.
This approach offers a promising strategy for combining solar energy with efficient energy storage. The study was published in Advanced Functional Materials.
The second study, “Chloride-driven construction of Zn-N/Cl and Co-N/Cl/Co-Co dual active sites in hollow porous carbon nanofibers for durable zinc-air batteries,” introduces advanced microscopic material that improve battery efficiency and durability. It was published in the Journal of Energy Storage.
The newly developed materials enabled rechargeable zinc-air batteries to operate stably for more than 2,000 hours and demonstrated promising performance in flexible battery configurations, supporting potential applications in wearable electronics.
Unlike conventional lithium-ion batteries, which commonly rely on lithium and other critical metals, zinc-air batteries use abundant, low-cost zinc and oxygen from the surrounding air.
Their potential advantages include high energy density, improved safety, lower material costs and reduced environmental impact, making them promising candidates for renewable energy storage and next-generation portable and wearable electronics.
Learn more about these projects through the Hamline University Renewable Energy and Environmental Research (REER) Laboratory.