Electrochemical redox mechanism of Co–B–H anode material and its optimization by a novel electrolyte additive

Abstract

Electrochemical redox mechanism and cycling stability are two important points for the research of the anode of alkaline rechargeable Ni/Co batteries. Herein, we report an amorphous Co–B–H anode material, which shows a multistep reaction in the initial discharge and the reaction of Co/Co(OH)₂ in the subsequent cycles instead of hydrogen storage. The severe capacity decay of the anode caused by the dissolution during cycling is substantially limited by a novel electrolyte additive of NaS₂O₃, which is also beneficial to achieving a long term store of Ni/Co batteries and thus markedly boost the application of the battery.