McMaster researchers pinpoint atomic cause of capacity fade in zinc‑ion batteries, pointing to more stable cathode designs
A McMaster team used predictive modelling and NMR to show that zinc insertion into manganese dioxide cathodes creates manganese vacancies that lead to manganese dissolution — a key cause of capacity fade — and suggests material‑design strategies to limit this loss.
A research team at McMaster, led by former PhD student Caio Miliante with supervisors Drew Higgins and Oleg Rubel and partnering Salient Energy Inc., combined predictive computational modelling with nuclear magnetic resonance experiments to track what happens inside zinc‑ion cells. Their work, published in EES Batteries, shows that when zinc ions enter a manganese dioxide cathode they displace manganese atoms; neighbouring zinc then occupy the vacant sites, enabling manganese to dissolve into the electrolyte. That structural loss destabilizes the cathode and drives capacity fade. The finding enables targeted screening of elements and new cathode designs to reduce manganese loss.