Abstract:

Aiming at the demand of the "dual carbon strategy", we have designed an inexpensive and highly safe zinc-manganese dioxide (Zn-MnO₂) secondary batteries, and formed a standardized comprehensive physical chemistry experiment. Herein, α-MnO₂ was prepared firstly using a hydrothermal method. After that, the structure and morphology of α-MnO₂ were characterized using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Furthermore, the Zn-MnO₂ secondary batteries were prepared using α-MnO₂ cathodes and Zn flake anodes, and the electrochemical performance was evaluated using cyclic voltammetry, rate, and long cycling experiments. We believe that this experiment can promote transformation of popular research topics into comprehensive teaching experiments and facilitate implementation of laboratory findings into daily life. Moreover, by integrating chemical material synthesis with characterization and electrochemical performance testing, modular teaching can be used to meet various teaching and learning styles. In addition, the combination of inquiry-based learning and comprehensive experiments can improve students' interest and hands-on activities. Our approach integrates ideological and political elements, highlights the green chemistry concept, increases students' awareness of safe and pollution-free chemical experiments, and promotes the idea of sustainable development.

Key words: Zn-Ion batteries, Comprehensive chemistry experiment, Zinc, MnO₂, Electrochemical properties