In 2011, Feiyu Kang's group showcased for the first time the reversible Zn-ion insertion into the tunnel structure of alpha-type manganese dioxide (MnO2) host used as the cathode in a ZIB.
[12] Other benefits of zinc metal as an anode material include its compatibility with both aqueous and non-aqueous electrolytes and its higher safety and lower environmental toxicity compared to lithium.
[14] While these dendrites can cause capacity loss and cell short-circuit, they do not cause the explosion and fire risk of lithium metal batteries due to the aqueous electrolytes.
[14] Aqueous electrolytes are the dominant form in ZIBs due to their high conductivity, low price, non-flammability, and environmental safety.
[13] Zinc sulfate is widely used today because of its lower cost and electrode stability, but the larger triflate and TFSI anions can lead to higher conductivities.
Current research has shown that flexible zinc-ion batteries (FZIBs) with hydrogel electrolytes show outstanding performance and stretching and bending characteristics.
[20] However, future work must be done to bring FZIB technology from the lab to real-world applications, especially in terms of finding appropriate electrolytes and suitable compatible electrodes.
The chemistry of AZIBs means they can be assembled under ambient conditions without a controlled inert, oxygen and moisture-free environment like LIBs or NIBs, which has less of an environmental impact.
In a life cycle assessment study done on six different AZIB battery chemistries, the global warming indicator ranged from 22.1 to 95.2 kg CO2 equivalent.
Lastly, research is being conducted on the use of renewable materials as electrolytes and separators, particularly polysaccharides and its derivatives which can create hydrogels with adequate mechanical properties and good electrochemical performance.
Some studies have shown that metallic zinc can be recovered from the batteries with over 99% efficiency through evaporation and separation, and this material can be recycled indefinitely without changes in its physical properties.