Punched and folded electrode design for high-rate zinc-ion batteries with high volumetric energy density

Zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) attract attention as a promising energy storage device due to their safety, eco-friendliness, and low cost. However, the inefficient design of their cathodes limits their large-scale industrial application. To address this challenge, this study creates uniform holes in the graphite current collector via a punching process and coats the electrode active material on both sides of the current collector while maintaining these holes. Additionally, a folded cathode structure is designed to fabricate an efficient cell. Results reveal that the cathodes with uniform pores exhibit improved rate performance and cycling stability due to enhanced ionic behavior. This study presents a practical strategy for designing an efficient cell structure for ZIBs.