Effect of multifunctional composite additives on the anodic hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline Al-air batteries

Abstract

The alkaline Al-air battery is a kind of chemical battery exhibiting high theoretical energy density. However, the hydrogen evolution corrosion is the primary barrier to its widespread application. This work reports the inhibition effects of Triton X-100 (TX-100) and calcium citrate (Ca-citrate), as corrosion inhibitors for the Al-air battery anode in 4 M sodium hydroxide solution. It shows that the composite corrosion inhibitors have good synergistic effect with the corrosion inhibition efficiency of 81.39 %. It is found that the interfacial film is formed via the route of ‘Interface Enhancements’. Moreover, the addition of TX-100 and Ca-citrate significantly improves the discharge performance of the Al-air battery. This electrolyte regulation strategy offers a way to enhance the Al-air battery's performance in alkaline medium.