ZIB batteries Korean breakthrough

Households are increasingly electrifying, switching to EVs for personal transport and heat pumps for space and water heating.

Dongguk University scientists have uncovered a novel battery design for industrial energy storage.

Researchers from the Republic of Korea led by associate professor Geon-Hyoung An at the Department of Energy and Materials Engineering at Dongguk University developed a graphene coating that supercharges zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) for grid use.

“The core innovation of the present study is the use of graphene-coated stainless-steel foil, or G@SSF-400, as a current collector for zinc-ion batteries,” says An.

“Unlike conventional collectors, our material can be produced through a simple graphene coating and heat treatment for surface oxide removal. This enables both industrial scalability and high electrochemical performance.”

The findings were published in the journal Advanced Energy Materials.

Zinc-ion batteries are promising for energy storage, but their traditional current collectors suffer from scalability issues, restricting industrial applications.

The researchers say they achieve batteries with high electrochemical performance and superior cycling stability, potentially paving the way for industrial-scale systems. “This technology is highly suitable for grid-scale energy storage systems, especially in the context of renewable energy integration. By enabling the use of water-based zinc-ion batteries, our approach provides a non-flammable, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional lithium-ion systems,” says An