Catalyst Preparation & Research
XIA Maosong, ZHANG Junjie, WEI Wuguo, LI Xiuyi, FU Yaoming, PENG Xing, PENG Weidong, HUANG Gangjin, YANG Yuxuan, WANG Jilong, GUO Yunqi, ZHOU Zhengqiao
Developing long-life and low-cost electrolytes is one of the key challenges for realizing the commercialization of zinc-air batteries for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).In this work,a hydrophilic silicone oil/zinc acetate mixed electrolyte is prepared by physical mixing method.The process is simple,and the raw material cost is reduced by about 30% compared with the traditional 6 mol/L KOH system.The zinc-air battery with 1 mol/L zinc acetate and hydrophilic silicone oil mixed electrolyte system has a cycle life of 400 h at 0.2 mA/cm2,which is 1.38 and 2.86 times of 1 mol/L zinc acetate aqueous solution (290 h) and 6 mol/L KOH electrolyte (140 h),respectively.The mixed electrolyte not only possesses the high conductivity of zinc acetate electrolyte but also has the characteristic of hydrophilic silicone oil to inhibit electrolyte volatilization,thereby significantly extending the service life of zinc-air batteries.The zinc-air battery with a mixed electrolyte system exhibits a low internal resistance (25 Ω) and a high-power density (44.3 mW/cm2),approaching those of the 6 mol/L KOH solution system (15 Ω,47.2 mW/cm2).The hybrid power system of this zinc-air battery and lithium-ion battery achieves a power-to-weight ratio of 33 mN/g,representing a 12% increase compared to single lithium batteries.This enables a 20% extension in the flight duration of quadrotor drones,with stable power output maintained at 2.5 W.This study provides a novel strategy for electrolyte design of zinc-air batteries,featuring long lifespan,low cost,and high stability.The mixed electrolyte system demonstrates remarkable application potential in the fields of long-life energy storage and drone power sources.