Flinders University Researchers Develop High-Performance Aqueous Zinc-Iodine Battery, Offering Alternative to Lithium-Ion
Researchers at Flinders University have developed a new aqueous zinc-iodine rechargeable battery (AZIB) that offers a high-performing, safe, and sustainable alternative to traditional lithium-ion batteries for large-scale energy storage. This innovative battery can achieve over 60,000 charge cycles and charge in as little as three minutes. The team addressed the 'shuttle effect,' a common issue in zinc-iodine batteries where polyiodine species degrade performance, by using a low-cost, biodegradable cyclodextrin-based polymer derived from starch. This polymer acts as a microscopic cage, trapping and releasing polyhalides to prevent leakage. The battery operates at 1.3 to 1.4 volts, delivering a capacity of 200 mAh/g over 8,000 cycles with a seven-minute charge, or 150 mAh/g over 60,000 cycles with a three-minute charge. Its degradation rate is remarkably low, between 0.0001% and 0.0003% per cycle. 
