Physicochemical Confinement Effect Enables High-Performing Zinc–Iodine Batteries

Zinc-iodine batteries are promising energy storage devices with the unique features of aqueous electrolytes and safer zinc. However, their performances are still limited by the polyiodide shuttle and the unclear redox mechanism of iodine species. Herein, a single iron atom was embedded in porous carbon with the atomic bridging structure of metal-nitrogen-carbon to not only enhance the confinement effect but also invoke the electrocatalytic redox conversion of iodine, thereby enabling the large capacity and good cycling stability of the zinc-iodine battery. In addition to the physical trapping effect of porous carbon with good electronic conductivity, the in situ experimental characterization and theoretical…

• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Award: 22175108
• NS
  Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province

  Award: ZR2020JQ09
• GO
  Government of Shandong Province