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Zinc Regeneration in Rechargeable Zinc-Air Fuel Cells - a Review

Aaron L. Zhua, David P. Wilkinsonb, Xinge Zhangc,*, Yalan Xingd,

Alex G. Rozhine, Sergei A. Kuliniche,f,*

a
Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, British
Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z1

b
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of British Columbia, 2360 East Mall,
Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4

c
Energy, Mining and Environment, National Research Council, 4250 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC,
Canada V6T 1W5

d
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beihang University, 37 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100191,
China

e
Nanoscience Research Group, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Aston University,
Birmingham, B4 7ET, UK

f
Institute of Innovative Science and Technology, Tokai University, Hiratsuka, Kanagawa, 259-1292,
Japan

Abstract: Zinc-air fuel cells (ZAFCs) present a promising energy source with a competing
potential with the lithium-ion battery and even with proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs)
for applications in next generation electrified transport and energy storage. The regeneration of zinc
is essential for developing the next-generation, i.e., electrochemically rechargeable ZAFCs. This
review aims to provide a comprehensive view on both theoretical and industrial platforms already
built hitherto, with focus on electrode materials, electrode and electrolyte additives, solution
chemistry, zinc deposition reaction mechanisms and kinetics, and electrochemical zinc regeneration
systems. The related technological challenges and their possible solutions are described and discussed.
A summary of important R&D patents published within the recent 10 years is also presented.

* Corresponding authors. Email: xinge.zhang@ nrc-cnrc.gc.ca (X. Zhang); [email protected] (S.A. Kulinich)

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1. Introduction

The concepts of “metal-air fuel cell” and “metal-air battery” are normally defined as follows. If
both metallic fuel and oxidant, such as oxygen or air, are added to the system from outside the cell, the
system should be referred to as a “metal-air fuel cell”. If the chemical energy from metallic fuel is still
confined within the cell, the system should be regarded as a “metal-air battery”. Recently, the research
on metal-air has gradually emerged as a hot-topic, which is attributed to their remarkably high theoretical
specific energy densities [1-4]. The theoretical specific energy density of the available metal-air batteries
reaches 13,300Wh/kg for Li/O2 [5], 8,140 Wh/kg for Al/O2 [6], 6,462 Wh/kg for Mg/O2 [7] and 1,084
Wh/kg for Zn/O2 [1]. A comparison of the specific energy densities of some representative types of
primary/rechargeable batteries, metal–air batteries, H2–air fuel cell with gasoline is shown in Fig.1 [2].
Clearly, the H2-air fuel cell, i.e. proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), possesses the best
theoretical specific energy density. This is one of key factors explaining why all car manufacturing
companies in the world have their strong interest and have invested heavily into the PEMFC vehicle for
future clean transportation.
However, in reality, due to respective technical barriers, the difference in practical specific energy
density between PEMFC and metal-air batteries, as shown in Figs.1 and 2, is not very striking. Although
it is difficult to compare directly a “PEM fuel cell” with a “metal-air battery”, the Ragone plot [8] in Fig.2
shows candidly that the advanced metal-air batteries have equivalent (or even slightly higher) power
values than PEMFCs do. In comparison with the primary/rechargeable batteries presented in Fig.1, metal-
air fuel cells also have attractive energy densities, which results from the high ratio of valence electrons
to atomic nuclei of anodic metals while cathodic oxygen is virtually unlimited (as oxygen is not stored in
the cell but comes from the air) [2,3,9,10].
Among the metal-air fuel cells and batteries, alkaline-based cell systems, such as Zn-air, are well
balanced with respect to energy density, kinetics, stability and reversibility, as illustrated in Fig.3. The
Zn-air battery system was intensively developed in the past, as it is relatively simple, easy to operate,
inexpensive to manufacture, and has excellent reliability, recycle-ability, and recharge-ability [10]. Thus
far, the practical specific energy density of the Zn-air system has reached 350 Wh/kg in industry (MetAir)
[11] and 580-750 Wh/kg in academia (data published sporadically from 2013 till now). Compared with
the market dominating Li-ion battery, the Zn-air system exhibits certain advantages. Firstly, it is more
cost efficient, going for less than a third of its Li-ion counterpart [12]. Secondly, it is constructed using
safer materials, while Li-ion batteries are vulnerable to catch fire [13, 14]. Thirdly, the currently achieved
specific energy density of the Zn-air system is superior to that of its Li-ion competitors (typically within
100-250 Wh/kg) [15]. Compared with other high-energy battery systems such as the sodium-sulfur or
sodium-metal chloride, which work at elevated operating temperatures (300 °C) and contain highly

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reactive and potentially polluting components, the Zn-air system is environmentally friendly and has a
low safety risk [16]. The widespread accessibility, recyclability and abundant natural resources of raw
zinc materials further guarantee its long-term use on the mass market. Therefore, these days the Zn-air
system is considered as one of the most promising metal-air power sources.

Figure 1. Comparison of the specific energy density of some representative types of

primary/rechargeable batteries, metal–air batteries, H2–air fuel cell and gasoline (Reprint with
permission from Royal Society of Chemistry, the theoretical values are calculated on the basis of
thermodynamics of active materials [2]).

At present, Zn-air batteries already have certain applications, for example, in hearing-aids and
miniature medical devices [5, 17, 18]. However, certain technological challenges are still hindering their
success on the competing market. The main obstacles can be briefly summarized as follows: (i) poor
recharge-ability, (ii) low utilization of the anode, (ii) sluggish kinetics of the cathode, (iii) longevity
challenge. Compared with the Zn-air battery, the Zn-air fuel cell (ZAFC) offers several benefits, such as
higher specific energy density, more attractive costs, better environmental compatibility and faster on-
site refueling which requires only a standard electrical supply [1-4,16,19, 20]. It also has the potential of
achieving the performance of the state-of-art H2-air fuel cells used as energy converters [1]. Of all the
metal-air fuel cells being developed nowadays, the ZAFC has the most promising potential in terms of
technical and commercial availability.
The principle of the Zn-air system was discovered in 1868 by Leclanché who noticed that the
electrochemical performance of his cell significantly improved when its carbon cathode with a depolarizer
of manganese dioxide was moist by only half-filling of the cell with electrolyte [5]. However, the
commercialization of the Zn-air battery only started in 1932 when Heise and Schumcher proposed a
porous carbon air cathode impregnated with wax to prevent the air cathode flooding. Large-sized low-

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drain batteries were then built for radio and railway-signal applications. The first example of mechanically
rechargeable Zn-air batteries was shown in the 1950s when the cell design permitted to replace the
consumed zinc anode with a new one. It was well realized in the 1960s that such batteries could have a
high potential and wide applications if a low-cost zinc anode was available. Then the use of hydrophobic
Teflon film made the high-energy Zn-air button cell come to being, which has since become a dominant
power source for hearing aids [5, 19, 20].

Figure 2. The Ragone plot [8] of the practical power density versus the practical specific
energy density.

Recently, technologies based on mechanical recharging have demonstrated significant progress

[16,19,20], which led to practical availability of Zn-air systems with power from 170 to 350 Wh/kg. With
further consistent development, power levels of 500 to 600 Wh/kg can be expected in the near future [16].
The latest mechanically rechargeable Zn-air fuel cells (ZAFCs) can be indeed regarded as a 1.5th
generation of ZAFCs in which a discharged zinc anode and spent potassium hydroxide electrolyte are
quickly replaced by fresh ones in a changing-printer-cartridge way, making continuous refuel/discharge
process possible [21]. The significant improvements obtained in the development of mechanically
rechargeable ZAFCs have driven much more research and industrial interests to reach the

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electrochemically rechargeable ZAFC in the near future. Therefore, Zinc regeneration becomes of the
highest importance, both fundamentally and technologically. This review provides an overview of
electrochemical zinc regeneration systems, with focus on electrode materials, electrode and electrolyte
additives, solution chemistry, and zinc deposition reaction kinetics. The related technological challenges
and their possible solutions are also mentioned and discussed. A concise patent summary of progress in
R&D achieved both in academia and industry within the recent ten years is also provided.

Figure 3. Revealed zinc property regimes (Reprint with permission from Dr. G.X. Zhang
and the National Research Council of Canada). Note that C and organics are not reversible,
H has a low specific energy density, Al, Mg, Si, Ti are not reversible, Fe, Cd, Pb have low
specific energy density, and Li, Na, K, Ca are neither stable nor reversible.

2. Electrochemical Fundamentals of Zinc Regeneration

A rechargeable zinc-air fuel cell (RZAFC) consists of two subsidiary electrochemical systems. The
first is a typical ZAFC power generation system. It consists mainly of a zinc anode, an air cathode and a
concentrated potassium hydroxide electrolyte (above 30 wt. %) which is circulated with pumps. The
electrochemical reactions in such a galvanic cell are as follows. At the anode, zinc will dissolve in
potassium hydroxide electrolyte, thus,

Anodic reactions [21,22]:

Zn + 4OH-  Zn(OH)42- + 2e- E0= −1.199 V (1)

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 Zn(OH)42-  ZnO + H2O + 2OH- (2)

In parallel, the reaction can also proceed as:

Zn + 2H2O  Zn(OH)2 + H2 (3)
At the cathode, the reduction reaction of oxygen from ambient atmosphere occurs, leading to the
following cathodic reactions:
½ O2 + H2O + 2e-  2OH- E0= 0.401V (4)
O2 + H2O + 2e-  (HO2)- + OH- E0= −0.076 V (5)
The overall reaction can be generally written as [23]:
Zn + ½ O2  ZnO E0= 1.667 V (6)

It should be noted that the real reaction processes at both the anode and cathode are much more complex.
The reaction processes undergo several steps, and the electrolyte with dissolved zinc can form a saturated,
or even supersaturated solution containing various anionic species derived from the basic form of
Zn(OH)42−, the mixture being called the ‘spent solution’ or ‘zincate solution’. The term ‘zincate’, in the
context of ZAFCs, generally refers to a salt containing the tetrahydroxo-zincate ion Zn(OH)42−, such as
K2Zn(OH)4, or an oxide containing zinc and a less electronegative element, e.g. K2ZnO2. The reaction
processes and the formation of the saturated electrolyte will be described in greater detail in the related
sections below.
The second subsidiary system is an electrolytic cell for the zinc regeneration. In the electrolytic
cell, at the negative electrode zinc will be re-deposited from zincate solution produced by the
electrochemical reactions occurred in the power generation system mentioned above, while oxygen will
be produced at the positive electrode. The general electrolysis reactions can be summarized as follows:
At the negative electrode:

ZnO + H2O + 2OH− → Zn(OH)42− (7)

Zn(OH)42− + 2e- → Zn + 4OH− (8)
2H2O + 2e- → H2 + 2OH- E0 = -0.828 V (9)
At the positive electrode:
2OH− → ½ O2 + H2O + 2e- (10)
Overall reaction:
ZnO → Zn + ½ O2 (11)

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 Figures 4a,b show, respectively, a schematic drawing of a rechargeable ZAFC system (a) and a
picture of an industrial single-cell-modeled ZAFC system (b). Figure 5 presents a potential (E)-current
(I) polarization curve to explain explicitly the major origin of potential loss in rechargeable zinc-air
electrochemical cell. In Fig.5 the theoretical electrochemical equilibrium and the practical potential
windows of a reactive cell in the course of discharging are represented by the black vertical lines and red
polarization curves for both electrodes, respectively. At zinc anode, the zinc oxidation reaction just needs
a minor energy to overcome the resistance stemmed from the chemical potential state at the anode surface
and then initiate the reaction. Thus, the over-potential needed to activate the anodic reaction is low.
However, the over-potential at the air cathode is much larger than that in an equilibrium state, which is
owing to the sluggish kinetics of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at the cathode.
A large potential (green arrow line) is needed to generate hydroxyl ions via ORR, which results
in the working voltage of the actual zinc-air cell ( E1, red line) being significantly lower than 1.65 V, i.e.
the open-circuit potential (OCV, i.e., Eeq, see the black vertical lines) of the ZAFC using air during the
discharging course. Subsequently, in the charging course the polarization curves (blue lines in Fig.5)
clearly indicate that a larger potential is still needed at the positive electrode for the oxygen evolution
reaction (OER). Compared with that at the zinc anode in discharging course, a considerably larger over-
potential is required for regenerating zinc from spent electrolyte. This is because the metastable zincate
forms several intermediates, and even ZnO, via different saturation, supersaturation and dimerization
steps [24, 25].
The zincate intermediates, as well as ZnO, are thermodynamically stable, and therefore more
energy is required to initiate the reverse reactions and regain zinc in the charging processes. The overall
effect resulted from both negative and positive electrode reactions taking place during the charging course
generates two over-potentials. One is a radically higher over-potential than the equilibrium potential for
the OER occurring at the positive electrode. The other is a noticeably lower over-potential than the
potential for zinc deposition occurring at negative electrode. This leads to a larger potential window (the
gap between the two vertical blue lines in Fig.5) in the course of charging of ZAFC (or Zn regeneration).
Nevertheless, when it comes to a primary Zn-air cell, it is not necessary to consider any challenge sit the
zinc anode. However, to develop electrically rechargeable batteries, it requires the studies on how to
improve the electrochemical behavior of zinc in both charging and discharging courses.

(a)

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 (b)

Figure 4. (a) Rechargeable zinc-air fuel cell system [23] (Reprint with permission from
Academic Press). (b) An industrial single-cell-modeled zinc-air fuel cell system (Power Air). The
actual dimensions of the unit cell are 18 cm (L) × 20 cm (H) × 5 cm (W), with serpentine flow
channels, while the actual reactive area is 12 cm × 14 cm, electrolyte is 37% KOH spent solution,
Zn is supplied in pellet form, electrolyte flowing rate is 5 mL/s.

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 Figure 5: Schematic polarization curves of zinc-air fuel cell. The equilibrium potential of
the zinc-air cell [1] (Reprint with permission from Wiley Press). The equilibrium potential of
ZAFC (black line) is 1.65 V, while the practical voltage (red line) in discharge is lower than 1.65
V due to the sluggish oxygen reduction reaction. A large potential is needed to charge zinc-air,
higher than the equilibrium potential (blue line).

3. Zinc Regeneration
For both discharging and charging courses, a major obstacle is the unpredictable nature of zinc
electro-crystallization and related longevity issues, which can be associated with the redistribution of zinc
active area (causing Zn electrode shape change) and formation of zinc crystals with various undesirable
morphologies such as dendrite and spongy forms (Fig.6). Although the formation mechanisms of various-
formed zinc crystals in electrochemical courses are different, the forms of such crystals do reflect the
common characteristics of zinc in nature, i.e., its high solubility in alkaline media and its rapid
electrochemical reaction kinetics [19]. In the electrochemically rechargeable ZAFC, granular zinc is
expected to be deposited from the spent electrolyte containing zincate. Therefore, the morphology control
of zinc deposit plays a critical role in determining the reusability of the regenerated zinc in discharging
process. The zinc morphology is a function of electrode materials, electrochemical deposition dynamics
and kinetics, solution chemistry, additives and engineering design [23]. It should be pointed out that after
the selection of electrode couple, a dynamic polarization plot must be acquired prior to performing zinc
regeneration because different electrode couples demonstrate different kinetic behavior during deposition.
The obtained dynamic polarization plot then should be used as a guidance for the rate control during zinc
deposition.

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 Figure 6. Different morphologies of regenerated zinc deposits [23] (Reprint with permission
from Elsevier).

3.1 Negative and Positive Electrode Materials

The first important issue to be considered in respect of electrochemical zinc regeneration is the
nature of substrate employed for metallic zinc deposition, i.e., the negative electrode. While choosing the
electrode material, the possibility of side reactions on its surface should be taken into account, as such
reactions would decrease the current efficiency during zinc deposition and result in impurities, as well as
decrease oxidation and reduction potentials of the material and thus influence its longevity. The cost of
the material is another aspect. From the thermodynamic and engineering points of view, it is ideal to use
zinc as the negative electrode for zinc regeneration. Figure 7 shows a typical potential-current curve of a
zinc electrode performance [23]. When the potential is swept from the open-circuit potential towards
more negative values, zinc deposition initially governs the reduction reaction until the potential reaches
a zone where hydrogen release commences. When the potential ramps to positive values, accordingly, the
current resulted from zinc dissolution increases exponentially and eventually reaches a peak, after which
it decreases drastically at a certain narrow potential range, indicating the occurrence of zinc electrode
passivation. After that, the current increases slightly and then reaches a plateau. With continuous zinc
dissolution, ZnO begins to precipitate even at a relatively low current. The initial ZnO precipitates are

10
normally loose, but then they tend to agglomerate and thicken over time, eventually form a compact layer
causing conductivity problems at electrode surface.

Figure 7. I-V polarization curve of zinc electrode performance [23] (Reprint with permission
from Elsevier).

Previously, various negative electrodes, such as Zn plate, sheet, cylinder, strip, or Zn amalgam,
were applied to study zinc deposition from zincate solutions or Zn/ZnO phase equilibria in the Zn/ZnO
system [26-32]. A porous electrode made of spherical 0.2-cm-sized zinc particles was also tested to study
the electro-winning of zinc with simultaneous hydrogen evolution [33]. The mechanism of dendrite
formation was also studied during zinc film deposition on Pt [34]. Nevertheless, all the above mentioned
studies did not permit to solve the inherent problem of the zinc electrode, i.e., its shape changing upon
Zn deposition (which results in uneven current density distribution on the electrode surface). Therefore,
alternative electrode materials were examined afterwards. Copper electrodes were tested in experiments
where pulse was used to control zinc deposition [35]. Steel-based materials were selected to study the
properties of zinc deposit [36]. Aluminum was also utilized in studies involving zincate reaction processes
[37] and zinc nucleation and growth [38]. Inspired by its use in the treatment of cast alloys, Al-Si was
studied in its relation to zincate chemistry and the precipitation sequence of Cu, Fe, Ni and Zn in zincate
solution [39]. McBreen et al. have systematically investigated the possibility of using Cu, Au, Cd, Pb, Ti,
Sn and In as negative electrodes and their effect on the morphology of zinc deposits [40,41]. The
nucleation and growth of zinc deposit on glassy carbon electrode was studied in order to mitigate the
emergence of dendrite and other unhealthy deposit forms [42]. Based on the reported results, Zn pellet

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[43,44], stainless steel, and oxide-coated steel [45] were the main electrode materials chosen for industrial
applications. Apart from these, a pasted insoluble zinc electrode was developed by the Scherrer Institute
in Switzerland [21]. An original approach was proposed by Binder and co-authors who reported on a
series of electrodes with different combination of Zn/ZnO/Zn(CN)2/Na-CMC/Cu/HgO in gel form for
alkaline cells [46].
At the same time, the selection of materials for the positive electrode in zinc regeneration systems
is very simple. While in laboratory, conventional Au and Pt are primarily chosen, steel, stainless steel,
and recently developed Ni based electrodes are typically used for industrial applications. Although glassy
carbon electrodes are frequently selected for zinc plating in acidic bath, they are seldom used for the
regeneration of zinc from alkaline zincate solution, being prone to the formation of mossy zinc deposits
[42] and CO2 generation whose content should be strictly limited since it reacts with the KOH electrolyte
[21].

3.2 Separator
The separator is a porous membrane placed between electrodes of opposite polarity, permeable
to ionic flow but preventing any electric contact between them. In batteries, separators play a key role,
keeping the cathode and anode apart and preventing electrical short circuits, simultaneously allowing for
rapid transport of ionic charge carriers, which is necessary to complete the circuit during the passage of
current in an electrochemical cell. They should be very good electric insulators and have the capability
of conducting ions via either their intrinsic ionic conductivity or soaking electrolyte, thus minimizing any
processes that adversely affect the electrochemical energy efficiency of the battery [5, 47, 48]. Apart from
playing a major role in preventing electric short circuit and conducting ion transport, separators are also
utilized in electrolysis cells as physical barriers for impurities. For example, they stop solid by-products
of the negative electrode from moving to the positive electrode or vice versa. In addition, they also help
maintain the concentration gradient of the bulk electrolyte adjacent to the reaction zones of the electrodes.
Compared to the tremendous research efforts dedicated to electrode materials and electrolytes, very little
work has been conducted towards developing and characterizing new separators for both batteries and
electrolytic cells for metal plating. Moreover, mathematical models that reflect the influence of
separator’s resistance, thickness, pore size, shrinkage, tortuosity, and mechanical strength on the final
performance and safety of electrochemical cells need to be further studied and developed.
In a traditional zinc plating system, Agar-sort polymer membrane has been typically used to
prevent electrical short circuit caused by the fast growth of zinc dendrites and to trap ZnO particles. In
the lately-developed zinc battery systems, polyolefin separators, e.g., Freudenberg FS 2227, were often
used for both laboratory and industrial applications [49]. Currently, the requirements dictate the

12
membranes be fairly resistant to oxidation, relatively stable in cells at high potentials, and chemically
inert to KOH at high temperatures. They should also have a fine porous capillary structure to hold the
electrolyte in the pores (and limit the diffusion of oxygen gas) and a high bubble pressure, as well as to
exhibit low electrical resistance [49]. Since Celgard LLC succeeded in developing separator materials
used in Zn-air batteries, such as Celgard 4560 and Celgard 5550 which have a microporous membrane
laminated with a nonwoven fiber that is a textile product manufactured directly from fibers, the
commercial laminated Celgard membrane has become the first choice in rechargeable ZAFCs with zinc
regeneration.
Recently, Schubert et al. [50,51] developed a new polymeric separator membrane which is
composed of a water-soluble copolymer of acrylic acid and sodium styrene-sulfonate monomers
(PAASS). This new polymer has been further developed for alkaline electrochemical systems (e.g.
metal/air, Zn/Ni, Zn/MnO2, Zn/HgO, etc.). The monomer ratio is tuned to manipulate both the electrolyte
absorption and ionic resistivity of the copolymer. Processes have been developed to coat PAASS onto
conventional nonwoven separator paper, thus fabricating composite membranes. The monomer ratio and
the coating weight can be adjusted to balance ionic resistivity and short-circuit protection, providing
adequate overall performance. PAASS-coated separators demonstrate good barrier properties to soluble
zincate species. Preliminary use of PAASS-based separator materials in a rechargeable Zn-air system
demonstrated a significant improvement in short-circuit protection over microporous materials such as
Celgard 3401.Theseparators used in the future are expected not only to demonstrate good insulation and
mechanical filtration, but are also required to have unique electrochemical properties [49].

3.3 Zincate Electrolyte

In general, zinc electrochemistry in alkaline electrolytes seems rather simple. The zinc/air chemistry
is normally described by the following simple reactions [19,21]:

Anodic reaction: Zn + 2OH-  ZnO + H2O + 2e- (12)

Cathodic reaction: ½ O2 + H2O + 2e-  2OH- (13)
Overall reaction: Zn + ½ O2  ZnO (14)

Accordingly, ZnO precipitation may seem favorable. When ZnO precipitates, the overall reaction is given
by Reaction (14). If it is the case, the electrolyte composition does not change during the cell operation.
However, the zincate concentration in the spent solution produced via electrochemical oxidation was
often reported to be much higher than those in the electrolytes prepared by dissolving zinc oxide into
aqueous KOH based on the ZnO/KOH reaction equilibrium. This suggests that the spent solution

13
generated via electrochemical oxidation of zinc is highly saturated and/or supersaturated with zincate and
zincate-like species. In reality, the above presented simple reactions now are known to hide numerous
complex reactions involving intermediates. Debiemme-Chouvyet al. have systematically studied the
precipitation reactions and solution forms by means of conductometry, nephelometry, complexometric
titration, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS)
analysis [24,25]. Apart from zincate species Zn(OH)42-, zinc oxidation produces other soluble species,
such as oxodihydroxy-zincate anion [ZnO(OH)2]2- and ZnO22-, depending on water activity in the KOH
solution. In less concentrated alkaline solutions, the final products are [ZnO(OH)2]2- and Zn(OH)42-
(Reactions (15) and (16)), while in very concentrated basic solutions, such as with 45 %KOH, the final
species formed is ZnO22- (Reaction (17)). In addition, [ZnO(OH)2]2- may slowly form short-living species
having a dimer [24].

Zn + 4OH-  Zn(OH)42- + 2e- (15)

Zn(OH)42-  [ZnO(OH)2]2- + H2O (16)
[ZnO(OH)2]2-  [ZnO2]2- + H2O (17)

Light scattering was applied to fresh and supersaturated zincate solutions [52, 53], revealing that colloids
are not involved in the formation of such species. The different zinc-hydroxide zincate species being
present in the spent solution can demonstrate different kinetics in the course of zinc deposition [25, 52].
This can be supported by the finding that regenerated zinc has very different morphologies even under
the same galvanostatic control conditions [23, 45]. It should also be noted that oxodihydroxo-zincate
species are known to evolve easily into ZnO, the latter being an insulator causes problems in
electrochemical cells. Therefore, the best way to eliminate its negative effect would be dissolving
oxodihydroxo-zincate species by slowly adding water into the spent solution, which is recently realized
in practice and called the “concentration fine-tuning” of the spent solution [53].

3.4 Additives to Electrode and Electrolyte

The role of additives is primarily important owing to their essential effect on the crystal growth,
structure and glossiness of zinc deposits. Such additives can be classified into two categories: those to
modify the electrode and those to modify the solution. Some additives are able to have a dual function.
CaO, SrO, BaO, BeO, MgO, SnO, Ni(OH)2 and Co(OH)2 were described by Renuka et al. [54] as zinc
electrode additives for the dissolution and deposition of zinc from zincate using practical 5.3 M KOH
electrolyte in actual batteries. The effect of the above alkaline-earth oxides was compared with those of
the already-established battery additives such as Bi2O3, LiOH, CdO and Na2CO3. Each of the alkaline-

14
earth oxides was found to exhibit a distinct behavior towards zincate. In the presence of CaO, the
electrochemical behavior of zinc electrode was not observed to show any remarkable change. Barium and
strontium oxides were found to form respectively two types of solid solutions with zincate and ZnO, i.e.,
Ba[Zn(OH)4], Ba2[Zn(OH)6], Sr[Zn(OH)4]·H2O, and Sr2[Zn(OH)6] [55-57], whereas calcium oxide
demonstrated only one type of solid solution with zincate, Ca[Zn(OH)3]2·2H2O [58,59]. Therefore, adding
Ca(OH)2 into a zincate medium is expected to reduce the initial content of active zincate species at the
electrode surface, thus lowering the specific energy of zincate [60-63]. Recently, it was shown that
Ca(OH)2 efficiently scavenges zincate in KOH solution, forming calcium zincate solid solution with a
chemical formula of Ca(OH)22Zn(OH)2 2H2O [53].
Lanthanum and neodymium hydroxides coated on zinc electrode were found to be effective in
impeding the shape change of zinc electrode [64]. The additives of BeO, MgO, SnO, CdO, Ni(OH)2 and
Co(OH)2 all have the capability of forming solid solutions with ZnO [65]. Ni(OH)2 and Co(OH)2 are also
known to provide excellent host lattice for zincate [65]. The effect of LiOH was found to be the formation
of two possible compounds, KLiZnO2 and Li2ZnO4 [65]. The oxo-zincate compounds like KLiZnO2 are
expected to leach OH- ions, leading to a higher solubility of Zn ions and thus preventing the unhealthy
precipitation of ZnO [65]. LiOH and Na2CO3 can be more effective if they are used as electrolyte additives
rather than electrode additives [65]. The functional effect of some metal oxide additives can be
summarized roughly as CdO = Bi2O3 > BeO ≡ [Co(OH)2 = Ni(OH)2 = SnO = MgO] > CaO > BaO> SrO
[65]. Since zinc can be deposited on bismuth and/or bismuth oxide during electrochemical processes, and
Bi2O3 is easily soluble in KOH electrolyte, it can be used as both electrode and electrolyte additive
[66,67]. The addition of Bi ions into the electrolyte can also result in a more homogeneous distribution
of Bi on the Zn electrode surface and thus effectively inhibit the dendrite growth [66,67].
The effect of Pb and Na2WO4 was investigated by Wen et al [68] who showed that both additives
could suppress the initiation and propagation of spongy zinc, yielding more uniform and compact deposits
[68]. However, Zn deposition can also be largely blocked by adding excess PbO and Na2WO4. In addition,
co-deposition of lead with zinc may occur if the amount of added PbO is not properly controlled.
Therefore, the concentration ranges for PbO and Na2WO4 were recommended to be between 10-3 and 10-
4
M and around 0.6 M, respectively [68]. The oxides and hydroxides of Cd, Pb, Sn, In, Ga, Tl and Bi have
received the most attention as those mitigating the shape change of zinc electrodes [21]. All of them have
two common features. First, their metals of these chemicals have a more noble potential than Zn does,
and as such they can be deposited on zinc and change its surface properties. Second, they all have high
hydrogen over potentials and hence suppress hydrogen evolution at the zinc electrode surface [21].
Recently, a new approach was proposed in which conducting polymers, such as polypyrrole and
zinc-ionomer derived from styrot-acrylic acid copolymer, were used as a direct contact additive on zinc

15
electrode [69,70]. Ionomer ions, typically with hydrocarbon backbones, initially aggregate as micro-
domains at the interface between the electrode and the electrolyte. After that they act as physical cross-
links into the electrode material and eventually affect the kinetics of zinc deposition, resulting in
mitigating the shape change of the zinc electrode. Regarding the solution additives, tetrabutyl ammonium
bromide (TBAB) has also shown promise for limiting dendrite formation in repeated charge/discharge
cycles at lower cathodic over-potentials [21,67,71,72]. Its large organic cationic species were suggested
to undergo specific adsorption at high-charge-density sites of the electrode where zinc-dendrite growth
centers were active. This blocked the deposition at such sites, while it continued at other, less favorable,
sites with lower and more even surface charge densities, thereby producing a smoother distribution of
coherent Zn deposits [28,67,71,72]. The solution additives, e.g., fluorinated surfactants such as Atochem
F1110 (C6F13C2H4[OC2H4]12OH) have the advantage of being chemically stable in strong basic
electrolytes and can stabilize the grain structure of zinc deposits, hindering the formation of mossy and
dendrite deposits through the absorption at rapid-growth sites on the negative electrode surface [73-76].
Impedance measurements revealed that during discharging/charging of the Zn electrode in a rechargeable
battery system, the additive F1110 helps maintain the compactness of Zn deposits, also eliminates the
deleterious effect of spongy Zn formation induced by anodically dissolved zinc [76]. Tetra-alkyl
ammonium hydroxide and tetra-alkyl ammonium ethoxide were tested. The former was proven to provide
a better effect than the latter at deposition temperatures above 30°C because it enhances or catalyzes Zn
deposition from a mono-valent zinc complex [27].
Minor concentrations of Pb ions (10-3 – 10-5 M) presented in the electrolyte were found to increase
the compactness of zinc deposits [68]. It should be mentioned that ZnO itself was reported to be a
favorable electrode additive in zinc battery for its positive effect in reducing the electrode corrosion,
discouraging the passivation of the electrode in alkaline electrolyte and increasing both the discharge
capability and the cycle life [77]. However, it minimizes the reversibility of Zn ion to be Zn metal because
it lowers the reduction capacity of zincate to metallic zinc [77]. Though no details on how to use ZnO in
the most efficient way were reported, studies on this subject look worth conducting since ZnO is naturally
present in all spent zincate electrolytes. Therefore, by controlling ZnO concentration in such electrolytes,
it might be possible to take advantage of this inherent state-of-the-art additive. Moreover, the potential
additives which have already been considered for non-rechargeable ZAFCs for the discharging process,
such as HgO, Tl2O3, CdO, In2O3, In(OH), In and Ga2O3 [78], are also worth testing in zinc deposition in
rechargeable ZAFCs.
During electrochemical regeneration of zinc from spent zincate electrolytes, the processes are
always accompanied by hydrogen evolution as Zn has a lower standard potential. The quantity of H2
produced due to hydrogen evolution is dependent on several factors, such as electrode and electrolyte

16
inhibitor concentrations in spent solution, electrode material's type, form and crystal structure, water and
ZnO contents in spent electrolyte, zincate saturation level, applied deposition potential/current densities,
the designs of zinc-regeneration cell and spent-solution flow system, etc. According to Ravindran and
Muralidharan [30], the hydrogen evolution rate is about 5 mL/s/m2 in 6 M KOH spent electrolyte
containing 0.02 M ZnO at 20 mA/cm2 of applied deposition current density and room temperature.
Hydrogen evolution decreases with an increase of zincate concentration. The co-deposited hydrogen can
diffuse along three directions: to air, to electrode substrate and to the deposited Zn matrix, not only
resulting in decreased current efficiency, but also producing mechanical problems to the electrode, such
as surface embrittlement or plating blister (Fig.8) [79]. Thus, in principle, any hydrogen inhibitors which
sluggish the kinetics of hydrogen evolution should be re-examined for zinc regeneration.

Figure 8. Appearance of blister formation assigned to hydrogen diffusion into the deposits
[79]. (Reprint with permission from Springer Press).

An elaborative list of hydrogen inhibitors potentially applicable in the discharging process of

ZAFCs can be found in the reports of Haas et al. [21], Yoshizawa et al. [80] and the patents of Goldstein
and coworkers [80-82]. Among those additives, the effectiveness of indium, tetrabutyl ammonium
bromide and PbO was already proven by industry, though no comprehensive reports were published thus
far. In addition, brighteners which may either enhance hydrogen evolution or inhibit it are also used to
prevent hydrogen diffusion into both deposited Zn layers and the negative electrode [79]. In this context,
anis-aldehyde bisulfate and Na-N-benzylnicotinate have been examined on stainless steel as the electrode
[79]. Na-N-benzylnicotinate was concluded to enhance hydrogenation processes on such electrodes

17
causing blisters to appear in Zn deposits, whereas anis-aldehyde bisulfate dissipates generated hydrogen
into air. A summary of industrially developed patents on such additives can be found in the review of
Basset al. [83].

3.5 Zinc Deposition

3.5.1 Thermodynamics of Zinc Deposition
The thermodynamics of zinc regeneration is known to be very complex. Metallic zinc (Zn0) is
not directly and simply deposited from freely mobile Zn2+ ions in the used alkaline electrolyte, but it is
regained from different zincate complexes with different composition and charges. When it comes to
discussing the thermodynamics of electrochemical Zn deposition, the Pourbaix diagram should be used
as the foundation [84]. The activity coefficients for all common alkaline electrolytes used with zinc
electrode were previously reported by Pound et al. [85]. Nevertheless, the surface state of electrode and
the zincate/ZnO equilibrium in a spent electrolyte are dependent on both the charge/ discharge running
conditions (temperature, running time, KOH concentration, additives, zinc feeding rate, and so on) and
the cell design. Moreover, since zincate undergoes a few intermediate formation steps when aging (Fig.
9), the conventional Pourbaix diagram published in the “Atlas of Electrochemical Equilibria in Aqueous
Solution” may not provide a sufficient accuracy. A more practical Pourbaix diagram guiding Zn
regeneration, including industrial on-site zinc deposition, can be constructed by using the HYDRA
program database [86] and updated equilibrium constants published sporadically in the journal
“Hydrometallurgy”, the “Handbook of Chemical Equilibria in Analytical Chemistry” (Halsted Press),
“Stability of Metal-Ion Complex” (Royal Chemical Society) and “Critical Stability Constants” (Plenum
Press). Since there is a wide variety of values and conditions for these equilibrium constants, the ion
strength index should be used as the first criterion for the selection of other values. In this way, the
variables can be much simplified as electrolytes used in zinc-regeneration systems are highly concentrated
[87]. The thermodynamic data of hydroxyl-zinc complexes are listed in Table 1.

3.5.2 Kinetics and Reaction Mechanisms of Zinc Deposition

During zinc regeneration, metallic Zn deposition from Zn(OH)42- based zincate complex ions and
the release of OH- ions are expected [88]. The mechanisms for the discharge of Zn2+ ions are still
remaining controversial and disputed. One of the two most realistic mechanisms was proposed by
Hampson and coworkers [89-91] who used galvanostatic and double-impulse methods to perform

18
transient measurements and thus to evaluate exchange current densities at zinc electrodes in the potential
ranges near the equilibrium value. The mechanism can be described by the below reactions (18) – (21):

Zn(OH)4]2-  Zn(OH)2 + 2OH- (18)

Zn(OH)2 + e-  [ZnOH]ads + OH- (19)
[ZnOH]ads + e-  [ZnOH-]ads (20)
[ZnOH-]ads  Zn + OH- (21)

Of the above four reactions, it is the reaction (20) that was shown to determine the overall rate [89-91].
The other mechanism was proposed by Brockris and coworkers [88]. It was derived from the data of
reaction orders, Tafel slopes and exchange current densities obtained from both transient and steady-state
measurements using galvanostatic and potentiostatic pulse techniques and can be described as follows:

Zn(OH)42-  Zn(OH)3- + OH- (22)

Zn(OH)3- + e-  Zn(OH)2- + OH- (23)
Zn(OH)2-  ZnOH + OH- (24)
ZnOH + e-  Zn + OH- (25)

In this approach, it is the reaction (23) that is considered as the rate-determining step. The two
mechanisms mainly debate about which reaction is the rate determining step and whether Zn(OH)3- is
truly present as a species, since the comprehensive electrolyte studies accomplished by Debiemme-
Chouvy et al. using NMR and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS), in conjunction with
conductometric, nephelometric and complexometric analyses, did not support fully the appearance of
such a species [24, 25]. A more recent quantum-chemical study demonstrated that the activation energy
of the [Zn(OH)3]- discharge is much higher than those for the [Zn(OH)2] and [ZnOH]+ species [92]. This
suggests no direct charge transfer onto this species, while there are possibly some preceding chemical
stages of OH- ligand abstraction reaction, which is supported by the experimental results of Maslii et al.
[92] and Debiemme-Chouvy and coworkers [24, 25]. As a result, it is the [Zn(OH)2] that seems to be the
preferred electroactive species since it requires the lowest energy for activation.

Table 1: Thermodynamic data of hydroxy-zinc complexes at 298 K [87] (Reprint with

permission from Elsevier).

19
 Equilibrium Log K Ionic strength

2+ − +
Zn + OH = ZnOH 5 0

2+ −
Zn + 2OH = Zn(OH)2 8.3 3

2+ − 3−
Zn + 3OH = Zn(OH) 13.7 3

2+ − 2−
Zn + 4OH = Zn(OH)4 18 3

2+ − 3+
2Zn + OH = Zn2OH 5.5 1

2+ − 2−
2Zn + 6OH = Zn2(OH)6 30.5 (± 0.4) /

2+ −
Zn + 2OH = Zn(OH)2(s) 17 2

2+ −
Zn + 2OH = ZnO(s) + H2O 16.8 /

2+ +
Zn + H2O = ZnO(s) + 2H -11.2 /

20
 Figure 9. New Pourbaix diagram of zincate species [23] (Reprint with permission from Elsevier).

The two aforementioned kinetic mechanisms have some vulnerability because the proposed
reactions listed in the mechanisms are mostly deduced from results obtained in the transient pseudo-
equilibrium rather than steady-state measurements, and the steady-state behaviors of the zinc electro-
crystallization are not predicted sufficiently. Epelboin et al. [93] and Cachet et al. [28, 76, 94] applied
electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) to investigate zinc electrocrystallization at steady state
and observed the occurrence of the following autocatalytic reaction step: Zn2+ + Zn+ads + e- ↔ 2Zn+ads,
which was accompanied by the adsorption of hydrogen, OH- and Zn+ at the electrolyte/electrode interface.
Moreover, at least four adsorbed species were shown to be involved in zinc electro-crystallization at the
electrolyte/electrode interface [93]. In order to avoid measurement errors associated with the shape
changes of zinc electrode, Despić et al. used a zinc amalgam electrode to investigate the reaction
mechanism and the exchange-current density in a full range of alkaline hydroxide concentrations (1-14N)
that are of interest for practical applications [31]. While the rate determining step at the pure zinc electrode
is the first-electron-transfer-step towards the cathode [88], it was found to be the chemical step between

21
the two electrochemical steps at a zinc-amalgam electrode [31]. Based on the obtained experimental data,
the reaction mechanism was proposed to be chemical-electrochemical-chemical-electrochemical type,
i.e., the deposition of zinc proceeds as follows [31]:

[Zn(OH)4]2– ·4H2O ↔ [Zn(OH)2·2H2O] 2OH– + 2H2O (26)

[Zn(OH)2·2H2O] + e- ↔ [Zn(OH)2]-·2H2O (27)
[Zn(OH)2]-·2H2O ↔ [ZnOH] + OH- + 2H2O (28)
[ZnOH] + e- ↔ Zn + OH- (29)

Although this mechanism is deduced from experimental results obtained with zinc-amalgam electrode, it
supports the earlier statements of Payne and Bard [95] and in general it is accepted by the majority of the
electrochemical society. Despić et al. [31] also found out that the chemical dissociation of the
intermediate univalent complex in between the two electrochemical steps expressed by reactions (27) and
(29) acts as the rate-determining step, and the overall reaction order is 2 with respect to both OH- and
water. This suggests that the zinc electroactive complex species is not only reduced in the number of
ligands but also dehydrated with respect to the prevailing species, Zn(OH)42-·4H2O.

3.5.3 Zinc Deposition and Morphology Control

The morphology of zinc deposits is closely related to the quality of regenerated zinc product.
Hence, its control plays a vital role, affecting significantly the performance of the ZAFC system upon
zinc regeneration and during re-use. Ideally, the regenerated zinc deposit should be granular. A long-
lasting challenge encountered by the rechargeable ZAFCs consists in the formation of non-granular forms
of zinc deposit during charging reactions, i.e. those commonly termed as “dendrites”. Hence, studies on
the morphology control of zinc deposited from zincate electrolyte, which have been carried out for
decades, are still of high importance for the battery/fuel cell field [31, 76, 88, 96-101].
Detailed information on the kinetics of early-stage zinc deposition can be acquired from the
derivation of electro-crystallization equations established on current-time transient curves easily
measured experimentally using a potentiostat and a traditional three-electrode cell containing zincate
electrolyte with different concentrations. The equations cover two restraining modes for instantaneous
and progressive nucleation [100]. A model for the electro-crystallization kinetics of zinc deposition that
involves an autocatalytic step expressed by the reaction: Zn2+ + Zn+ads + e- ↔ 2Zn+ads in its reaction scheme
was also proposed, being in good agreement with experimental current-potential polarization and
impedance results [102-104]. It is clear that the presence of such an autocatalytic reaction step and the
interaction of its product, i.e., the intermediate zinc complex ion, with hydrogen and anions such as OH-

22
can lead to multiple steady states of zinc ion thus resulting in instabilities and continuous oscillations of
the system. Using this autocatalysis step and interactions between hydrogen and zinc (both cations and
anions), the oscillation of the zinc electrode potential observed during zinc deposition at high current
densities could be partially explained [76,103,105]. The oscillation was further proved to be caused by a
local transient alternating depletion of such electroactive species as zinc and zinc hydroxide ions at the
electrode/electrolyte interface. As a result, the concentration-overpotential generated by these
electroactive species triggers hydrogen evolution and stirs the electrolyte, thus replenishing the local
concentration of electroactive zinc species and leading to a periodic over-potential oscillation [106 -108].
The values of reaction order in the linear Tafel and the other over-potential regions were
determined by Dirkse [109-111]. The concentrations of Zn2+ and OH- were shown to affect the values of
the Tafel slope while the changes in ionic strength have little effect in its linear region. However, in other
over-potential regions, solutions with different ionic strength (attributed to different concentrations) were
found to demonstrate inconsistent polarization results [109-111]. The values of exchange-current density
measured by several reputable groups were found to scatter over a range of three orders of magnitude,
which was presumably assigned to the consecutive shape change of the zinc electrode during zinc
deposition [19]. A study using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy combined with steady-state
polarization measurements revealed that the Faradic relaxation processes of zinc deposition not only
proceeded via a series of reduction reactions of zinc ions but also involved reactions with the four above
mentioned adsorbents occurring in parallel paths [28].
There are three ranges of KOH electrolyte concentration (3-6M, 7-10M, and 10-14M) in which
the relationships among the over-potential, electrode activation and deposition rate are remarkably
different [28,31]. The effect of OH- ions is also important for zinc deposition because the convection
between zincate ions and OH- during the zinc deposition exists, as pointed out by Bockris et al. [88].
However, the effect is hard to elucidate as it is closely related to all the complexity of zincate species in
the solution, its kinetics and diffusion. Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) analysis
performed in magnetic field by Devos and collaborators demonstrated that the differentiation of OH-
diffusion from that of zincate species was possible, which also permitted to conclude that zinc deposition
was governed by OH- [112].
The EIS results obtained by Cachet et al. showed that the steady state of zinc electrode was
controlled by the presence of interfacial layers whose geometric properties and conductivity depended
upon the electrode polarization [76]. There exists an oxide-containing layer at electrode surface whose
ionic and electronic conducting performances are potential activated. The discharge of zincate ions is
controlled by ion diffusion through this porous layer [76]. The existence of this layered structure was also
confirmed by means of in-situ Raman spectroscopy [113]. Rogers and Taylor used a rotating disk

23
electrode, aiming at separating Zn deposition from other related electrochemical processes and from
hydrogen evolution, and showed that it is always controlled by mass transport [114]. This implies that the
formation of dendrite deposits is in the nature of the element [114]. In contrast, hydrogen evolution was
found to be very strongly dependent on over-potentials or current densities provided by the deposition
system [114]. At low current densities, long dendrites start to grow preferentially along not one but two
facets of zinc deposit tip and then amplify the growth differences at the two facets when the long dendrites
grow further, eventually result in function failure of the cell. At high current densities, short dendrites
grow only on one developed facet of zinc deposit tip due to the dominance of nucleation over growth.
Hydrogen evolution may affect positively through stirring, leading to neither dense nor long deposits of
zinc dendrites [114]. The over-potential of hydrogen evolution on zinc electrode was measured, and
corresponding calculation formulas were established [115].
The water activity in the electrolyte is also a key parameter to obtain accurate enough results. It
should be noted that the solution chemistry of zincate species is rather complex [53], which brings more
challenges in getting correct values of activity, and therefore manipulating concentrations during
deposition in such solutions is rather hard. Still, all information necessary for finding functional
relationships between the alkaline electrolyte concentration, ZnO solubility, electrode potential, solution
conductivity and the limiting current of zinc electrode is presented in Fig.10. The electrode potential
decreases with increasing KOH concentration. By contrast, the solution conductivity and the reaction
kinetics (in terms of exchange current) increase with KOH concentration up to about 30 % and then
decrease at higher concentrations. Therefore, to get a good conductivity and kinetic behavior of the
reaction, the best KOH concentration range is between 20 and 40%. ZnO solubility increases with
increase in KOH concentration up to 30%, leading to the formation of supersaturated electrolyte, then
decreases at KOH concentrations between 30 and 50% (Fig.10). The rate of hydrogen evolution in zincate
solutions was studied at different current densities ranging from 20 to 500 A/m2 and at different zincate
concentrations [116]. The results permitted to conclude that: (i) the type of the electrode (materials,
binders and additives) determines the hydrogen evolution rate; (ii) the hydrogen evolution mainly results
from zinc electrode corrosion, (iii) the hydrogen evolution rate is higher at higher current densities or at
lower KOH (or zincate) concentrations [116]. Further studies based on the gasometric method [30]
showed that increasing ZnO content in zincate solutions significantly lowered the hydrogen evolution
rate.

24
 Figure 10. The influence of different factors in the Zn-KOH system as a function of KOH
concentration [23] (Reprint with permission from Elsevier).

In industry, dendrite formations with mossy and spongy morphologies have been regarded as an
inherent challenge in zinc recovery, since zinc in this form will decrease power efficiency when reused
in the power-generation compartment of the fuel cell or battery system. While some efforts were made
on using different additives and electrode substrates to improve the situation, kinetic studies were also
undertaken aiming at better understanding and control of deposition processes. The morphology of Zn
deposits is known to depend on over-potential during deposition, as well as on current density, electrode
substrate, and electrolyte chemistry. Up to date, four major types of zinc deposits have been reported and
described in the literature: (i) dendrite, (ii) mossy, (iii) spongy and layer-like mixed with boulder, and (iv)
filamentous forms (Fig.6) [34,117,118].
The effect of over-potential on the deposit morphology is generally known. Mossy forms, layer
mixed with boulder forms and dendrite forms are deposited respectively at low, medium and high over-
potential values. Although there are no clear criteria for defining the over-potential ranges, the equilibrium
potential of zinc electrode should depend primarily on the potential of Zn/Zn(OH)2, and subsequently the
OH- contribution to the potential composition [119]. In their classic work using freshly deposited zinc as
both working and reference electrodes, Diggle et al. [34] reported that the critical potential for dendrite
initiation was between -75 and -85 mV versus pure Zn (in this case, the freshly deposited zinc is used as
the reference electrode). Positively below this critical over-potential, e.g., at -50 mV vs. Zn, spongy
morphology was formed, while negatively above it, between -85 and -160 mV vs. Zn, dendrite mixed

25
with spongy or dendrite forms were obtained [34]. A valid model for dendrite-crystal growth over time
at different over-potential and current density values, solution concentrations, and temperatures was
proposed by the same researchers [34]. The dendrite initiation and growth were shown to be controlled
by mass transport and activation, respectively [34]. However, a more recent report suggested again that
the dendrite growth might be controlled by mass transfer [118]. In addition, direct development of
dendrite forms from the electrode surface rather than from the tips of precedent nuclei was also observed.
It has never been found that a dendrite initiated at the top of a pyramid of nucleus. The imaging evidence
does not support the dendrite initiation and growth model of Bockris et al. [120]. Moshtev and Zlatilova
demonstrated that it was the over-potential rather than the current density to be the critical variable for
deposited forms [121]. It should be mentioned that the critical over-potential value for zinc dendrite
growth was found to be -173 mV when pure zinc was used as the reference electrode in zinc deposition
[122].
The use of zinc electrodes with different crystallinity and orientations at varied current densities
permitted to conclude that spongy dendrites formed at high current densities (100 mA/cm2 and above),
layers mixed with granules grew at moderate current densities (between 4 and 20 mA/cm2), and mossy
morphology appeared at low current densities (less than 4 mA/cm2) [117]. It was also found that,
compared with polycrystalline zinc substrates, the use of single-crystal substrates resulted in lower (up to
2 orders of magnitude) nucleation densities of dendrites observed at initial stages of growth, while later
on, the dendrite density was observed to be identical (106/cm2) on all electrodes used irrespective of their
crystallinity and orientation [117]. Therefore, the effect of electrode substrate has to be seriously
considered for the morphology control of zinc deposit. Dendrite deposition was investigated on glassy
carbon [42], carbon [123], porous carbon foam [32], Ni [124], zinc powder [26], aluminum [38], Cu, Au,
Cd, Pb, Tl, Sn, In [40,41], Al-Si [39], Ag [125,126] and steel [36]. Lead and cadmium substrates were
also reported as those facilitating dramatically zinc dendrite formation [40,41].The effect of different
factors, such as electrode surface preparation, grit size of sandpaper during polishing, electrolyte
impurities and so on, on the morphology of zinc deposited on different high-purity zinc electrodes was
categorized and well-documented in the report of Wang et al. [118].
The solution chemistry and electrolyte composition were demonstrated to have a decisive effect
on the dendrite formation [127-132]. Among other factors, probably one of the most long-lasting and not-
fully-understood yet is the role of ZnO and its reduction mechanisms, since it is a thermodynamically
stable compound that tends to precipitate from concentrated zincate solutions [54]. As such, ZnO can be
used as an additive to change the electrode surface structure and subsequently modify the morphology of
zinc deposit (see section 3.4 above). Two distinct mechanisms explaining the influence of ZnO on zinc
deposit morphology were proposed: the dissolution-precipitation [133-135] and the direct solid-state

26
reduction [136]. A way to trace the activity of ZnO by measuring the potential of Zn/ZnO versus HgO/Hg
was proposed and developed by Sharma [29]. A later study conducted by Debiemme-Chouvyet al. [24,
25] proposed a new insight on the understanding of ZnO forms existing in solution. The presented
conclusions may stimulate new ideas and approaches to find a fully satisfactory solution for this issue in
the future.

The observations reported by different groups over years suggest that the dendrite growth occurs
under the diffusion-limited current conditions, and it is the growth rate rather than the nucleation rate that
is the controlling factor, although the nucleus dimension (1D, 2D or 3D) may also affect the morphology
when zinc deposition is carried out via tuning the over-potential [137,138]. Different approaches were
tested to control the morphology of zinc deposits, among which: restricting the charging current density
below the limiting current density, adjusting the over-potential range, and employing half-wave or square-
wave potential pulsing [137,138]. Nonetheless, substantial progress in understanding the above
phenomena was achieved by now, permitting to conclude that if the diffusion-depleted layer close to the
electrode surface could be minimized, or even prevented from forming via some hydrodynamic-control
means such as stirring, the morphology of zinc deposit would be more or less under control. Using
rotating-disc electrode might be a good approach for this, while at industrial scale, controlling the
electrolyte flow rate might be attractive. By studying a wide range of Reynold’s numbers (from 0 to
14,000) coupled with different current densities (2-1600 mA/cm2) in a short period of time (1-3 min),
Naybour reported on the morphology control over zinc deposits and proposed a formation phase diagram
for dendrite, bulbous and flat zinc deposits [137].

4. Latest Progress in Zinc Regeneration

Finding how to effectively control and remove the dendrites of zinc deposit has been a constant
industrial demand since the 1960s. It was concluded that smooth zinc deposits cannot be obtained from
alkaline zincate solution at constant over-potential or current rate [34,139], which implies that
conventionally used constant current or potential does not allow for zinc deposits with smooth surfaces.
More recent work demonstrated that using pulsing over-potentials with square-shaped profiles led to a
reduced fraction of dendrites in deposits [35,140]. Ultrasonic agitation was found to increase remarkably
the cathodic current efficiency [141], suggesting that it could also reduce the formation of dendrite forms.
In recent years, organic electrochemical industry is regarded as very innovative, green and rapidly
developing, which in part is because many organic products are obtained through the reduction or
oxidation of organic compounds via electron transfer on electrodes. However, the drawback is that

27
products can only be obtained on one electrode while energy has to be wasted on the other. Wen et al.
hybridized the electrochemical propanol oxidation system with a traditional ZAFC and used cadmium-
coated nickel plate as the electrode substrate, which permitted to restrict considerably both the dendrite
growth and hydrogen evolution [142].

Figure 11. Regenerated granular zinc [147] (Reprint with permission from Elsevier).

Chiba et al. proposed to use magnetic field, reporting on remarkably inhibited dendrite growth in
highly-concentrated alkaline electrolytes [143]. The suppression effect was found to be more pronounced
at magnetic flux density above 0.11T, leading to an increase in cathodic efficiency as high as 5-10 %
[143]. Devos et al. also used magnetic field to improve the quality of zinc deposit. Their results also
confirmed that dendrite appearance can be ameliorated by performing the deposition in a magnetic field
[112]. Modeling zinc deposition from zincate solution has constantly encountered a number of challenges.
An illustrative model for the equilibrium behavior of ZnO in alkaline zincate solution was proposed by
Kriengsmann and Cheh [144], whose results may be useful for the control of ZnO content in zincate
electrolytes. Another significant progress was made by Wang and coworkers [145] who established a 3D
model via a three-dimensional-kinetics-Monte-Carlo method to analyze the mechanism of shape change
and morphology control in zinc regeneration. Combining some findings obtained in their experiments
designed to complement their simulation results, they concluded that the morphological evolution is a
function of the flowing electrolyte, surface roughness, electrode structure and charging current. The
uniform morphology of deposited zinc can be attained via the manipulations of low current, pulsating

28
current or hydrodynamic electrolyte. To achieve a granular morphology, an electrode with discrete
columnar structure, in conjunction with high current and electrolyte flowing, has to be applied [145].
In light of new operation system for zinc regeneration, following the original work of Jiricny and
coworkers [146], a unique system with a spouted-bed electro-plating regenerator and a pin-array patterned
cathode was designed [147]. This system permits to conduct zinc deposition at a high current density, so
that the regenerated zinc particles could reach a desired size of 0.5 mm (Fig.11) [147]. A DOE-funded
company, Fluidic Energy, focuses on developing metal-air batteries that rely on ionic liquids as
electrolytes instead of aqueous solution.
While the alkaline-polymer based technology is still in its infancy, using ionic liquid to replace
alkaline electrolyte may bring a new breakthrough in developing ZAFCs with compact size. ReVolt
introduced a concept of new cell design for flow-zinc/air battery [148].The design exploits a closed circuit
in which zinc suspended in KOH is pumped from a storage tank to pass the tubular electrodes, while the
diffusion electrode is bi-functionally constructed so that oxygen can be either absorbed or released. This
structure offers a number of advantages, one of which being the possibility to charge the ZAFC either
electrically or via refueling [148]. More recently, a novel electrochemical cell constructed with three
distinctive sections for energy absorption, storage and delivery has been developed [149]. In this system,
energy absorbed in metal zinc through electro-deposition in the top section is then delivered through zinc
dissolution in the bottom section, while metal zinc is contained in the middle section between the sections
for deposition and dissolution. This leads to simultaneous zinc deposition and dissolution occurring in
separate spaces, thus allowing for independent charging and discharging processes [149]. This dual-
power-cell prototype could be a good basis for further innovative designs of electrochemically
rechargeable ZAFCs in the future.
To mitigate the situation of the historically poor electrochemical rechargeability of zinc in
alkaline electrolyte, quite lately, two attempts were made towards electrode design [150] and new
electrolyte development [151], showing promise in the Zn-Ni battery system. Following the prevailing
trend and focusing on incorporation of additives into the electrode structure for enhancing the cycle life
of zinc-based batteries, a 3D sponge-like architectured electrode was designed and then tested in both
additive-free and additive-added alkaline electrolytes. The sponge-structured electrode was made by
mixing zinc powder with trace amounts of In and Bi (to suppress H2 evolution), then emulsified in
carboxymethyl-cellulose and sodium dodecyl sulfate, and finally heat-treated. This not only resulted in a
long-range conductivity in the 3D metal framework (which was maintained throughout charge-discharge
even to deep theoretical depth-of-discharge at zinc, DODZn), but also allowed the 3D-interconnected pores
to attain the confined volume effect. The approach has led to modest success, though long-cycle-life tests
are still needed [150]. The results have demonstrated no dendrite formation, also indicating that adding

29
electrolyte and electrode additives in the battery cell is indispensable to retain effectively the cycled
sponge structure in its pre-cycled condition [150].
In Japanese society related to battery-manufacturing there is a consensus that the dissolution of
zinc electrode and formation of zincate is a continuous process which never stops until the electrode
surface is fully covered by ZnO. Such a degradation of zinc electrode is primarily assigned to the soluble
nature of zincate ions, especially Zn(OH)42-, which form prior to ZnO [151]. Therefore, Nakata and
coworkers suggested that reducing the electrolyte water activity would suppress the solubility of zincate
anions, storing active-zinc in the vicinity of the electrode, and thus helping preserve the initial electrode
morphology and enhance the system rechargeability [151]. For this purpose, propylene carbonate (PC),
an organic solvent commonly used in the early stage of lithium-ion battery development, was added into
KOH to prepare a mixed electrolyte [151]. The results demonstrated that when using highly-concentrated
PC (up to 1.8 M), no dendrite formation was observed after as many as 500 charge-discharge cycles, and
the morphology of zinc electrode remained close to its initial electrochemical state[151].
Two general reviews on ZAFCs [152, 153], as well as three reviews focused on materials [154],
oxygen catalysis [3] and electrolytes [4] related to ZAFCs, were published very recently. Although the
development of electrochemically rechargeable ZAFCs is not much discussed in the above reports, the
reviews suggest the following directions for the future research: (i) The continuous development of the
new-typed cycle-able zinc electrode composed by a mixture of zinc, ceramic electronic conductor and
polymer binder. This new electrode should allow for uniform zinc deposition on charge and keep the
longevity of the electrode up to 1500 cycles without degradation and changes in electrode shape. (ii)
Searching for the optimal recipes for the currently used additives and finding novel metal oxides and
organic compounds as additives to the electrolyte seem to be of high importance. (iii) Using the hybrid
electrolyte, i.e., a mixture of a traditional aqueous alkaline solution and new organic electrolyte candidates
may be very promising. (iv) The design of new chargeable ZAFC systems employing elements of already
well-developed architectures of other zinc-related battery systems such as redox-flow batteries [155].
Apart from the above, it should be added that the importance of hydrodynamic control in zinc
deposition/regeneration has not been fully realized yet, although it certainly plays a vital role in increasing
the deposition efficiency and controlling the morphology of zinc deposit. A profound understanding of
its role in zinc morphology control may need new attempts in both academia and industry oriented
research.
There is no doubt that the majority of the recent advances related to the development of
rechargeable ZAFCs comes from the various companies and are reflected in their numerous patents, most
representative of which being shown and summarized in Table 2 with a brief explanation.

30
Table 2: Recent progresses in zinc regeneration as reflected in patents.

Patent Number Patent Title and Brief Comments Company

Approved Year

US 20150056524 A1 Electrochemical An electrochemical system for

system for storing storing electrical energy in e-Zn
electricity in metals metallic material comprises a [Canada]
(2015) charging assembly with one or
more cathode and anode couples
for metal deposition.
US 20140162145 A1 Operating a metal- Methods for operating open
air battery electrochemical cells are Battelle
(2014) disclosed. Memorial
Institute
[USA]

US20140266055 A1, Hetero-ionic An ionically conductive medium

WO2014160087A2, aromatic additives is used for communicating the Fluidic, Inc.
WO2014160087A3 for electrochemical electrodes. The medium [USA]
cells comprising a comprises hetero-ionic aromatic
metal fuel additives.
(2014)
US 8877391 B2, Electrochemical The present invention relates to
CN102844932A, cell, and particularly an electrochemical cell for Fluidic, Inc.
EP2537205A1, a cell with generating electrical power that [USA]
EP2537205B1, electrodeposited includes an anode, a cathode, a
US20110200893, fuel charging electrode and an
WO2011103142A1, (2014) ionically conductive medium
WO2011103142A8 containing at least metal fuel
ions and poly (ethylene glycol)
tetrahydrofurfuryl. It also relates
to a method for charging the cell
by electrodeposition of metal
fuel on the anode thereof.
KR20120122604 Method for Method for regenerating zinc of Hyundai
regenerating zinc of zinc-air battery using wasted Heavy
zinc-air battery aluminum with large surface area Industry, and
using wasted UNIST
aluminum (2012). Academy
Industry
Research
[South Korea]
KR20120104709 Manufacturing Regeneration of zinc with large Hyundai
method for zinc-air surface area from zinc oxide. Heavy
battery anode using Industry, and
zinc with high- UNIST
specific surface area Academy
by electrical Industry

31
 regeneration in zinc Research
oxide (2012). [South Korea]

CN102270777 Method for Restoration method for zinc

recovering and oxide from ZAFC. Beijing
electrolyzing zinc Zhonghang
Changli
electrode of insert-
Energy
block-type zinc air Technology
battery (2010). [China]
TW201121134 Reduction method A reduction method for ZnO
for ZnO of zinc air from ZAFC. The recycled ZnO is National Ping
fuel cell (2009). fed into a solar reactor and then Tung
reduced into gaseous zinc by University of
using CO as reductant. Science and
Technology
[Taiwan]

WO2008133978 Electrolyte Electrolyte treatment method for

management in increasing the solution capacity
Power Air
zinc-air systems using calcium hydroxide.
(2008) [USA]
CN2736943U Electrolytic An electrolytic reduction device Beijing
reduction device of of zinc in zinc air battery
ChangLi Union
zinc air battery
(2004). Energy [China]
US20040053132 Improved fuel for Improved fuel compositions have
zinc-based fuel cell improved flow properties for use
Metallic Power
and regeneration in ZAFC systems. Due to the
of(2004) presence of a non-zinc metal and [USA]
other additives, the improved
regeneration solution can be used
to generate an improved fuel,
zinc.

ZA200204013 Method and device The invention relates to a method

for regenerating for regenerating zinc. ZnO is Gartmann Rolf
zinc electrodes introduced into an electrolyte Zoxy Energy
(2002). received in a dissolving chamber Systems
to produce zinc ions, then at least [South Africa]
partially converted into zincate
ions. The electrolyte containing
the zincate ions dissolved therein
is then supplied to a reactor
vessel and the zincate ions in the
reactor vessel are at least
partially electrolytically
converted into zinc

32
 WO200210877 System of and System and method for power
method for power management are provided for Metallic Power
management (2002) monitoring and controlling a [USA];
regenerative fuel cell, allowing Teck Metals
electricity generated by the [Canada]
regenerative fuel cell to power at
least one powered device
WO9635830 Production of zinc Zinc in a spent Zn-alkali slurry Lawrence
fuel pellets (1996) of zinc-air batteries is produced Livermore
in the form of pellet on a non- National Lab,
zinc-adherent cathode for reuse and
in the zinc-air batteries. US Department
of Energy
[USA]

5. Concluding remarks
The combination of a number of attractive characteristics, such as, high energy density (associated
with high electrochemical performance), low costs of components, inherent safety and environmental
benignity, draws a lot of attention to zinc-air fuel cells as a novel class of power sources, which may have
the shortest path required to catch up for energy-storage devices. Based on the progress achieved during
several past decades, zinc-air power systems have been proved to be promising and become an irresistibly
outdoing choice. However, there are three major challenges faced by researchers and engineers on the
way of the realization of commercially affordable rechargeable zinc-air products: (i) the sluggish oxygen
reduction reaction which needs developing a new dually-functional catalyst; (ii) the capacity loss assigned
to the migration of Zn(II) ions from anode to cathode for which new separators or gas diffusion layers
with optimized pore sizes are demanded; and (iii) the morphology control of zinc deposit regenerated
from the spent alkaline electrolyte. In this review, we have made an effort to provide a reasonable
coverage of the progress recently achieved in zinc regeneration as related to the fields of zinc-air fuel
cells.
While the rechargeable zinc-air fuel cell system appears to be a very promising candidate as a
future power source, a number of scientific and technological issues need to be resolved before the
extensive application of such fuel cells on a large scale can be realized. Of the highest priority in this
context are: (i) better understanding of the formation mechanisms of zinc deposits and the correlation
between the deposition product and its electrochemical performance; (ii) screening of industrially
applicable electrode materials; (iii) unraveling of the kinetics of electrochemical deposition and reaction
mechanisms in presence/absence of additives; (iv) understanding of the chemistry of alkaline electrolyte
with and without additives; (v) realization of a simple but highly-effective engineering approach to the

33
design of the electrochemical cell for zinc regeneration; and (vi) the development of simple computational
models allowing for adjusting the electrolyte, accounting for additives and concentration control, fine-
tuning of over-potential for the hydrogen and oxygen evolution improvements.
In addition to complex and complete fundamental studies in all related fields, it is also important
to develop highly-efficient, inexpensive, and environment-friendly electrode materials that promote zinc
deposition in desired forms (e.g., granular form), while also providing high energy efficiency for fuel
cells and lowest possible hydrogen and oxygen evolution. Thus far, there are only three materials, Pt, Au
and carbon, which have been proved to be inert, durable and reliable as electrodes. It is therefore of critical
importance to find new materials for new-generation electrodes with improved performance. For this, all
possible means, combining both experimental approaches (conventionally used in solid state physics,
physical chemistry, surface science, and materials science) and theoretical approaches (such as estimation
of chemical/electrochemical potential changes or accurate estimation of new “electrochemical phase
diagrams”, or so-called the Pourbaix diagrams) should be widely applied. New stainless steel and Ni-
based alloys might be attractive as durable candidates with catalytic properties which are already used in
plating or fuel-cell industry. Zinc alloys or other materials with coatings capable of suppressing hydrogen
evolution and dendrite formation are another choice worth considering and developing.
Although using alkaline polymers can lead to the replacement of liquid electrolytes with solid
electrolyzers, currently the development of solid alkaline polymer electrolyzers is still in its infancy. The
use of ionic solutions or gels is believed to widen the flexibility and application of ZAFCs, but such a cell
system suffers from having a low power density and low energy efficiency. The directions for future
research activities on electrolyte chemistry might, predictably, focus on: (i) better understanding of
zincate species (their forms occurring in saturated and supersaturated alkaline solutions, as well as
formation mechanisms involved); (ii) ZnO solubility limits in alkaline electrolytes with and without
various additives; and (iii) more detailed knowledge on the reduction mechanisms of ZnO in alkaline
media.
The utilization of in-situ electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy, in a combination with
electrochemical atomic force microscopy, is seen as a potentially very powerful means for understanding
deeper the formation mechanisms of zinc dendrites during deposition. In turn, this may help in developing
new-generation electrodes and additives that minimize the deposition of dendrite zinc. Finally, the
potential of rationally designed structure of both the cell itself and its electrodes, taking into account all
knowledge on reaction kinetics in the system and optimizing its performance, still needs to be realized.
Thus far, many aspects of such optimal designs have not been openly available in the literature, even
though they may contribute significantly, or even boost the progress of rechargeable Zn-air systems. Very
recently, significant progress was achieved in developing redox flow batteries. The concepts and

34
technology used in such flow-battery cells and their electrode design can also be considered as important
references when working on zinc regeneration for ZAFCs.
At the current state of technology, only up to1000 cycles with energy efficiency as much as 40-
50% can be achieved with on-trial designs of rechargeable Zn-air fuel cells. However, to achieve a
breakthrough, new technologies in the following four aspects: (i) decoupling engineering of loading from
unloading, (ii) adequate integration and optimization applied in cell design along with functioning water
management, (iii) transferring successful concepts and techniques developed in other zinc-related
batteries, such as zinc-flow battery, to zinc regeneration in rechargeable ZAFCs, (iv) suppressing the
carbonate formation, and (v) increasing the cycle stability, require highly pursued for developing the
rechargeable Zn-air fuel cells.
Indisputably, the realization of the rechargeable zinc-air fuel cells will require new research efforts
in multiple disciplines to address the tough challenges which both scientists and engineers are facing now.
However, both the theoretical and industrial platforms for further advances in the field are already
provided, while commercial demands keep fueling and stimulating any breakthroughs in this direction.

Acknowledgements
One of the authors, A.L.Z., would like to express his gratitude for the technical support and encouragements
from David P. Dong and Dr. John Kim at the University of British Columbia, Prof. E. Gileadi at Tel-Aviv
University, Helen Zhu at Mercedez-Benz-Ford-Nissan Fuel Cell Research Center (AFCC), Dr. Dave Ghosh at
National Research Council of Canada, Dr. Gregory X. Zhang at e-Zn, Dr. Ping He at Ballard Power System
and Dr. Michael Gattrell at British Columbia Research Council. S.A.K. acknowledges support from the
Seventh Framework Programme (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-IIF, project no. 330516) and from the Japan Society for
the Promotion of Science (JSPS, nos. 16K04904 and 24560882). Finally, S.A.K. and A.G.R. are grateful to
the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation (Daiwa Foundation Award 11425/12174).

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