Guanzhou Zhu
Ph.D. Student in Chemistry, admitted Autumn 2016
All Publications
-
A safe and non-flammable sodium metal battery based on an ionic liquid electrolyte.
Nature communications
2019; 10 (1): 3302
Abstract
Rechargeable sodium metal batteries with high energy density could be important to a wide range of energy applications in modern society. The pursuit of higher energy density should ideally come with high safety, a goal difficult for electrolytes based on organic solvents. Here we report a chloroaluminate ionic liquid electrolyte comprised of aluminium chloride/1-methyl-3-ethylimidazolium chloride/sodium chloride ionic liquid spiked with two important additives, ethylaluminum dichloride and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide. This leads to the first chloroaluminate based ionic liquid electrolyte for rechargeable sodium metal battery. The obtained batteries reached voltages up to ~4V, high Coulombic efficiency up to 99.9%, and high energy and power density of ~420Whkg-1 and ~1766 W kg-1, respectively. The batteries retained over 90% of the original capacity after 700 cycles, suggesting an effective approach to sodium metal batteries with high energy/high power density, long cycle life and high safety.
View details for DOI 10.1038/s41467-019-11102-2
View details for PubMedID 31341162
-
An electrodeposition approach to metal/metal oxide heterostructures for active hydrogen evolution catalysts in near-neutral electrolytes
NANO RESEARCH
2019; 12 (6): 1431–35
View details for DOI 10.1007/s12274-019-2379-7
View details for Web of Science ID 000469405300026
-
Rechargeable aluminum batteries: effects of cations in ionic liquid electrolytes
RSC ADVANCES
2019; 9 (20): 11322–30
View details for DOI 10.1039/c9ra00765b
View details for Web of Science ID 000466756100035
-
An operando X-ray diffraction study of chloroaluminate anion-graphite intercalation in aluminum batteries
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
2018; 115 (22): 5670–75
Abstract
We investigated rechargeable aluminum (Al) batteries composed of an Al negative electrode, a graphite positive electrode, and an ionic liquid (IL) electrolyte at temperatures down to -40 °C. The reversible battery discharge capacity at low temperatures could be superior to that at room temperature. In situ/operando electrochemical and synchrotron X-ray diffraction experiments combined with theoretical modeling revealed stable AlCl4-/graphite intercalation up to stage 3 at low temperatures, whereas intercalation was reversible up to stage 4 at room temperature (RT). The higher-degree anion/graphite intercalation at low temperatures affords rechargeable Al battery with higher discharge voltage (up to 2.5 V, a record for Al battery) and energy density. A remarkable cycle life of >20,000 cycles at a rate of 6C (10 minutes charge time) was achievable for Al battery operating at low temperatures, corresponding to a >50-year battery life if charged/discharged once daily.
View details for PubMedID 29760096