High capacity alkaline super-iron boride battery

Abstract A high capacity alkaline redox storage chemistry is explored based on a novel Fe 6+ /B 2− chemistry. The alkaline anodes based on transition metal borides can deliver exceptionally high electrochemical capacity. Over 3800 mAh/g discharge capacity is obtained for the commercial available vanadium diboride (VB 2 ), much higher than the theoretical capacity of commonly used zinc metal (820 mAh/g) alkaline anode. Coupling with the super-iron cathodes, the novel Fe 6+ /B 2− battery chemistry generates a matched electrochemical potential to the pervasive, conventional MnO 2 –Zn battery, but sustains a much higher electrochemical capacity. Stability enhancement of super-iron boride battery is also studied. A zirconia coating effectively prevents both the decomposition of boride anodes and the passivation of Fe(VI) cathodes, and sustains facile both anodic and cathodic charge transfer. Reversibility of boride anodes is demonstrated with TiB 2 and VB 2 . It is shown that these two boride anodes exhibit the reversibility in a certain extent.

[1]  H. X. Yang,et al.  Exceptional electrochemical activities of amorphous Fe–B and Co–B alloy powders used as high capacity anode materials , 2004 .

[2]  S. Licht,et al.  Chemical synthesis of battery grade super-iron barium and potassium Fe(VI) ferrate compounds , 2001 .

[3]  H. X. Yang,et al.  Metal Borides: Competitive High Capacity Anode Materials for Aqueous Primary Batteries , 2004 .

[4]  A. Bard,et al.  Standard Potentials in Aqueous Solution , 1985 .

[5]  W. M. Latimer,et al.  The oxidation states of the elements and their potentials in aqueous solutions , 1938 .

[6]  S. Ovshinsky,et al.  A Nickel Metal Hydride Battery for Electric Vehicles , 1993, Science.

[7]  Jianjun Chen,et al.  Analysis of ferrate(VI) compounds and super-iron Fe(VI) battery cathodes: FTIR, ICP, titrimetric, XRD, UV/VIS, and electrochemical characterization , 2001 .

[8]  S. Licht,et al.  Solid phase modifiers of the Fe(VI) cathode: effects on the super-iron battery , 1999 .

[9]  S. Licht,et al.  Conductive-matrix-mediated alkaline Fe(III/VI) charge transfer: three-electron storage, reversible super-iron thin film cathodes. , 2006, The journal of physical chemistry. B.

[10]  Xingwen Yu,et al.  Cathodic chemistry of high performance Zr coated alkaline materials. , 2006, Chemical communications.

[11]  D. Linden.  Handbook Of Batteries , 2001 .

[12]  Licht,et al.  Energetic Iron(VI) chemistry: the super-iron battery , 1999, Science.

[13]  A. Townshend.  Standard potentials in aqueous solutions , 1987 .

[14]  S. Licht,et al.  Rechargeable Fe(III/VI) super-iron cathodes. , 2004, Chemical communications.

[15]  D. Macdonald,et al.  pH Measurements of High Temperature Aqueous Environments with Stabilized‐Zirconia Membranes , 1985 .

[16]  W. Tong,et al.  Manganese oxide mesoporous structures: Mixed-valent semiconducting catalysts , 1997 .

[17]  C. Julien.  Lithium intercalated compounds: Charge transfer and related properties , 2003 .