A Magnetic Binder-Linked Air Electrode with Anti-Pulverization Behavior for Rechargeable and Recyclable Zn-Air Batteries

The increasing demand for energy, coupled with the continuing deterioration of the environment, has heightened people's desire for renewable energy storage technologies, such as rechargeable zinc-air batteries (ZABs). However, the race for the developing ZABs usually focuses on the search for new materials, with less emphasis on electrode engineering and recycling. Herein, for the first time, a simple, scalable, and inexpensive electrode engineering and recycling strategy for ZABs is proposed based on the magnetic binder engineering of the cobalt-implanted electrocatalysts. By manipulating the electrode with magnets, the ZAB can cycle for 1200 h (7200 cycles), and its anti-pulverization behavior is revealed through in situ observation of a visual cell with an air electrode in the charged state. Moreover, the cobalt-implanted electrocatalysts can be recycled from the spent ZABs using a magnetic force-separation method. Additionally, the ZAB with the recycled electrocatalyst exhibits considerably prolonged cycling stability for over 500 h (ΔE = 0.86 V). This study not only enables the design of magnetic force-engineered electrodes with improved battery performance but also provides sustainable solutions for recycling electrocatalysts for many possible applications beyond ZABs.