Chinese study finds hotpot ingredient can boost battery performance in the cold

Chinese scientists have found fibre from the konjac plant – an ingredient in noodles and jelly added to hotpot – can improve the performance of water-based zinc batteries in low temperatures by keeping their components from freezing.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries, still largely in development, are a promising alternative to lithium batteries because of their high theoretical capacity, superior safety, and the wider availability of zinc compared with lithium.

Despite these benefits, the use of these batteries has been limited as the water-based electrolytes used in them are prone to freezing in low temperatures. An electrolyte is a component within a battery that allows the flow of power between the two electrodes.

“A critical challenge in electrolyte development involves improving the antifreeze characteristics without compromising high-rate performance,” the scientists wrote in a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Advanced Energy Materials on January 7.

The team, led by researchers from Changsha University of Science and Technology in central China’s Hunan province, added konjac glucomannan, a cost-effective and environmentally friendly organic polymer, to their battery’s electrolyte to help disrupt the network of hydrogen bonds in water to inhibit freezing.

Konjac glucomannan is a type of dietary fibre made from the underground stem of the konjac plant, which is known for its culinary applications, particularly in low-calorie noodles and jelly eaten in dishes such as hotpot.