Effect of carbon properties on the electrochemical performance of carbon-based air electrodes for rechargeable zinc–air batteries

• Published in: Journal of applied electrochemistry Vol. 48; no. 4; pp. 405 - 413
• Main Authors: Min, Yu-Jeong, Oh, Su-Jung, Kim, Min-Soo, Choi, Jeong-Hee, Eom, Seungwook
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.04.2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Carbon; Carbon black; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Corrosion effects; Electrical resistivity; Electrochemical analysis; Electrochemistry; Electrodes; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Metal air batteries; Physical Chemistry; Physical properties; Porosity; Rechargeable batteries; Research Article; Zinc; Cycleability; Air electrode; Carbon’s physical properties; Carbon corrosion; Rechargeable zinc–air battery; Catalyst support
• ISSN: 0021-891X; 1572-8838
• DOI: 10.1007/s10800-018-1173-7

The carbon-based air electrode for zinc–air batteries has its advantages, such as high electrical conductivity and porosity; however, its stability is poor, affecting the cycle life of batteries. Degradation of the electrode can be caused by carbon corrosion during charging at high voltage. In this study, air electrodes were prepared with several types of carbon materials. The electrochemical performances of the electrodes were measured to investigate the effects of the corrosion properties of several carbons with different physical properties. The initial electrochemical performance of the carbon black-electrode was the best due to its high specific surface area. In contrast, the long-term cyclabilities of graphite1- and graphite2-electrodes were superior. Both electrodes exhibited high crystallinity and high uniformity in terms of the particle size and shape. Considering durability, the graphite1-electrode was deemed the most suitable as an air electrode for zinc–air batteries. Graphical Abstract