Researchers at Flinders University in Australia have demonstrated an aqueous zinc-iodine battery that can endure more than 60,000 charge-discharge cycles and recharge in roughly three minutes. The prototype cell showed a degradation rate of only 0.0001–0.0003% per cycle.
A key challenge for zinc-iodine chemistry has been the shuttle effect, in which iodine compounds migrate across the separator and cause active-material loss. The team addressed this by adding a low-cost, biodegradable polymer based on cyclodextrin, which is produced from starch.
Cyclodextrin molecules have a hydrophilic outer surface and a hydrophobic inner cavity that act as molecular traps, holding polyhalogenides and releasing them in a controlled way to limit unwanted migration inside the cell.
In testing, the battery delivered a capacity of about 200 mAh/g and survived more than 8,000 cycles with a seven-minute charge time. When the working capacity was reduced to 150 mAh/g, the charge time fell to three minutes and the cycle life exceeded 60,000 cycles.
The experimental cells operated at 1.3–1.4 volts and used a non-flammable water-based electrolyte. Zinc is abundant and relatively inexpensive, and Australia holds an estimated 20–28% of known global zinc reserves.
The researchers are targeting large-scale stationary energy storage for power grids, where long service life, safety, material cost, and fast charge-discharge capability are critical. The technology is not intended for smartphones or electric vehicles.
The Flinders team is already collaborating with industrial partners to build a prototyping platform. Commercial production will require further scaling and testing in full-size cells and storage systems.
The work was reported by Interesting Engineering and published on 19 August 2026.
60 000 циклов заряда/разряда и зарядка всего за 3 минуты: из цинка и производного крахмала создали «вечную» батарею
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