New zinc-air battery delivers 3,570 charges of stable performance over 74 days

Researchers at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, have developed a rechargeable zinc battery that delivers consistent energy for 74 days and more than 3,500 cycles. With an energy density of 997 Wh per kilogram, the new development sets new standards in zinc-air technology.

Atomic precision: Catalyst of the future

Researchers used a kind of heat treatment to transform 3D material into ultra-thin carbon-sheets and added individual cobalt and iron atoms, creating a catalyst that makes the battery much faster and more efficient. Study author Saeed Askari explains:

By engineering cobalt and iron as individual atoms on a carbon framework, we achieved record-breaking performance in zinc-air batteries, showing what is possible when catalysts are designed with atomic precision.

Energy that surprises

At 997 Wh/kg, the rechargeable zinc battery conventional classic zinc-air batteries which typically only achieve around 400 Wh/kg, and is significantly higher than the energy density of many lithium-ion cells. Efficient control of dendrite formation makes recharging reliable and safe.

74 days of continuous performance: A new milestone

"The continuous operation of a rechargeable zinc-air battery for more than two months is a milestone in this field," says study co-author Paramana Banerjee. She added that the principles behind this design could be applied to other clean energy technologies such as fuel cells, water splitting and CO₂ conversion.