Method for manufacturing zinc/liquid metal composite, zinc/liquid metal composite manufactured thereby, electrode containing said composite, and zinc battery containing said electrode

Dendrite-suppressing zinc anode composite with a liquid metal protective layer via capillary suspension method

This technology involves dispersing gallium-based liquid metal into spherical shapes using a surfactant in a non-polar solvent, then mixing it with zinc particles to form a composite structure where the liquid metal protective layer encapsulates the zinc particles, thereby suppressing dendrite growth and side reactions in zinc electrodes.

Aqueous zinc battery anodes have historically faced issues with zinc dendrite growth and corrosion during charge-discharge cycles. Furthermore, reactions with the aqueous electrolyte trigger hydrogen evolution reactions (HER), which shorten battery life and cause short circuits.

This technology utilizes a capillary suspension method, employing both non-polar and polar solvents to uniformly form a 40–100 nm thick liquid metal protective layer on the surface of zinc particles. This layer maintains an electrical conduction network while inducing specific crystal plane growth in zinc to suppress dendrites and preventing corrosion by blocking direct contact with the electrolyte. It can be applied to aqueous zinc batteries for stationary energy storage systems in buildings—where low fire risk is essential—or wearable devices, reducing concerns over cell expansion from hydrogen gas and extending service life.

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Key Features:

• A step of adding and reacting a gallium-based liquid metal alloy into a mixture containing a surfactant and a non-polar solvent
• A step of obtaining a slurry by mixing the reaction product, zinc with an average size of 10 ㎛ or less, and a polar solvent
• A step of applying the slurry to a substrate such as glass, PET, or polyimide, followed by applying heat and pressure at 70 to 180 ℃
• A non-polar solvent selected from dodecene, silicone oil, or octanol that does not form dipole-dipole interactions with zinc

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This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT for a single-ion conductor-based multidimensional free-form power system.

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