Aqueous Rechargeable Zinc/Aluminum Ion Battery with Good Cycling Performance

Developing rechargeable batteries with low cost is critically needed for the application in large-scale stationary energy storage systems. Here, an aqueous rechargeable zinc//aluminum ion battery is reported on the basis of zinc as the negative electrode and ultrathin graphite nanosheets as the positive electrode in an aqueous Al2(SO4)3/Zn(CHCOO)2 electrolyte. The positive electrode material was prepared through a simple electrochemically expanded method in aqueous solution. The cost for the aqueous electrolyte together with the Zn negative electrode is low, and their raw materials are abundant. The average working voltage of this aqueous rechargeable battery is 1.0 V, which is higher than those of most rechargeable Al ion batteries in an ionic liquid electrolyte. It could also be rapidly charged within 2 min while maintaining a high capacity. Moreover, its cycling behavior is also very good, with capacity retention of nearly 94% after 200 cycles.