Polyaniline/Zn-phthalocyanines nanocomposite for protecting zinc electrode in Zn-air battery

The effect of the incorporation of Zn-phthalocyanines (ZnPc) nanoparticles into polyaniline coating (PANI) forming a new nanocomposite polyaniline/Zn-phthalocyanines (PANI@ZnPc) on the Zn-air battery performance has been investigated. The anticorrosion activity of the PANI@ZnPc coating is evaluated by the polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements. The results reveal that, the PANI@ZnPc nanocomposite gives a higher protective performance (97.7%) than the neat PANT (74.8%). The incorporation of ZnPc particles into PANI matrix is responsible for the increase in the coating resistance and AC conductivity. PANI@ZnPc nanocomposite delivers a high specific discharge capacity (713 mAh g(-1)) and enhances the capacity retention up to 98.5%. Therefore, Zn electrode coated with PANI@ZnPc can improve Zn-Air battery performance to a high extent, which may be beneficial for energy applications.