Abstract: Zinc electrodes are prepared in an alkaline electrolyte containing SiO₂ sol by electrodeposition in order to investigate the influence of SiO₂ sol on the deposition rate, micrograph, and electrochemical performance of the zinc electrodes. The results show that deposition rate gradually decreases as the concentration of SiO₂ sol (0-200 mL/L) increases, and that the surface morphology of zinc electrodes is more compact and even without large pores. Besides, the corrosion resistance and cycle reversibility of zinc electrodes are improved by adding SiO₂ sol in the electrolyte. When the concentration of SiO₂ sol is 150 mL/L, the lowest corrosion currentdensity and relatively lower differential value between the anodic and cathodic peak potentials of zinc electrodes are achieved, which exhibits the best electrochemical performance.

Key words: alkaline electrolyte, SiO₂ sol, zinc, electrodes, surface morphology, deposition rate, electrochemical performance