A research team from Flinders University (Australia) has developed a water-based zinc-iodine battery with an extended lifespan. The new battery can withstand more than 60,000 charge and discharge cycles, and can be fully charged in just three minutes. Depending on the operating mode, the device works at a voltage of 1.3–1.4 V and delivers either 200 mAh/g for 8,000 cycles with a seven-minute charge, or 150 mAh/g for 60,000 cycles. The battery's degradation rate is just 0.0001–0.0003% per cycle.

Previously, the premature failure of water-based zinc-iodine batteries was linked to the so-called shuttle effect, where polyiodide compounds penetrated the separator and reduced the device's efficiency. To address this, the researchers created a cellular structure from cyclodextrin—a low-cost polymer derived from starch and widely used in the food and cosmetics industries. The hydrophilic outer shell and hydrophobic inner part of this structure allow it to capture and release polyiodides as needed, preventing their uncontrolled movement.

Zinc-iodine batteries are safer, more accessible, and more widely available compared to lithium-ion counterparts. They virtually eliminate the risk of fire, which is common with lithium batteries, and in terms of specific and volumetric energy, they are comparable to, and sometimes even surpass, lithium-ion technologies.

Australia holds 20–28% of the world's zinc reserves, which helps reduce dependence on lithium-ion battery imports and the associated environmental issues. Currently, the country generates about 3,300 tons of lithium battery waste annually, and by 2036 this figure could exceed 136,000 tons.

The technology is currently at the prototyping stage and has not yet reached the commercial market. Collaboration with industry partners is underway to create a prototyping platform, but the further development of the domestic industry depends not only on battery chemistry, but also on investment in manufacturing and market demand, which were not addressed in this study.