Record zinc-air battery achieves 74-day life and 3,570 charge cycles

Australian researchers at Monash University have developed a record-breaking rechargeable zinc-air battery that lasts 74 continuous days and endures 3,570 charge cycles. The team, led by Saeed Askari and Parama Banerjee, achieved this breakthrough by replacing costly platinum catalysts with cobalt-doped ultra-thin carbon sheets created through heat treatment of 3D materials. By engineering cobalt and iron atoms at the atomic level on a nitrogen-doped carbon framework, they enhanced charge transfer and reaction kinetics, overcoming key limitations in zinc-air battery performance such as limited output power and poor charge-discharge stability. The new battery demonstrated a power density of 229.6 mW/cm² and an energy density of 997 Wh/kg, marking a significant advance for zinc-air batteries, which are known for their high energy density, low cost, and zinc’s abundance. Traditionally used in small devices like hearing aids and often non-rechargeable, zinc-air batteries have faced challenges in scaling for electric vehicles and large