Large-Scale Nanofiber Manufacturing| Spatial and anchoring effects of zirconia-doped 3D scaffolds for stablezinc anodes

Latest Research from Prof. Liu Yong's Team at Beijing University of Chemical Technology: Spatial and Anchoring Effects of Zirconia-Doped 3D Anode Scaffolds

With the increasing global demand for clean energy, aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) have attracted growing attention due to their high safety, environmental friendliness, and abundant raw material reserves. Zinc metal, with its high theoretical capacity and low redox potential, presents an attractive energy storage solution. However, issues like dendrite growth, hydrogen evolution reaction, and significant polarization during charge/discharge cycles severely limit cycling stability and battery performance.

Recently, Prof. Liu Yong from Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Prof. Wang Ce from Jilin University, and Prof. Hu Ping from Tsinghua University developed a zirconia-doped 3D carbon nanofiber scaffold (ZrO₂-CF) via electrospinning-thermal treatment. Leveraging zirconia's excellent zinc affinity and chemical stability combined with 3D carbon nanofibers, this design utilizes "spatial effects" to provide uniform electric field/current density distribution and "anchoring effects" to improve zinc ion deposition behavior. Results show ZrO₂-CF anodes effectively prevent dendrite formation, reduce polarization, and suppress hydrogen evolution, demonstrating exceptional cycling stability, coulombic efficiency, and uniform zinc deposition at high current densities, validating its potential for enhancing AZIB performance. The study was published in Chemical Engineering Journal as "Spatial and anchoring effects of zirconia-doped 3D scaffolds for stable zinc anodes."

Figure 1. Graphical Abstract.

Figure 2. Deposition behavior observed under optical microscopy.

This innovative ZrO₂-CF anode design successfully combines the "spatial effect" of 3D porous structures with zirconia's "anchoring effect," significantly improving zinc deposition uniformity while suppressing dendrites/side reactions. The research systematically elucidates how these dual mechanisms address key challenges (dendrites/hydrogen evolution/polarization) by optimizing electric field/current density distribution and enhancing selective zinc ion deposition, achieving stable operation over 1000 cycles at high current density with 98.6% coulombic efficiency. The work provides new insights for AZIB anode development and establishes theoretical/technical foundations for commercializing next-generation high-performance, low-cost energy storage technologies.