Reconstructing the solvation structure and solid-liquid interface enables dendrite-free zinc-ion batteries

Hao，Rui1,2; Gu，Shuai1; Wang，Zhiqiang1; Chen，Jingjing1; Luo，Wen1; Hu，Jing1,3; Yan，Chunliu1; Yuan，Huimin1; Liu，Guiyu1; Liu，Kaiyu2; Liu，Chen3; Wang，Wenxi4,5; Lu，Zhouguang1

2023-04-01

10.1016/j.mtener.2023.101279

Materials Today Energy   Impact Factor & Quartile

2468-6069

2468-6069

Dendrite growth and side reactions are culprits leading to the short lifespan and low Coulombic efficiency in aqueous Zn-ion batteries. Electrolyte engineering has been considered as the most facile and efficient strategy to overcome the above issues. Herein, introducing trace zinc gluconate to adjust the content of the strong H-bond in a conventional ZnSO electrolyte is proposed to achieve a stable Zn anode. Experimental measurements demonstrate that the solvation configuration around Zn ions has been evidently reconstructed due to the intensive coordination ability of gluconate anions. At the same time, gluconate anions electrostatically adsorb on the Zn metal surface, forming a new solid-liquid interface. As such, side reactions with water molecules and the self-corrosion of Zn metal have been significantly suppressed due to the newly formed solvation structure and interface, restraining the growth of dendrites. Impressively, the cycling life of the Zn||Zn symmetric cell in the modified electrolyte is able to sustain as long as 1500 h even at 5.0 mA cm. The as-assembled NHVO||Zn full cell also realizes 1000 cycles with only 0.0049% capacity decay per cycle. This study offers a facile yet pragmatic route for the design of a multifunctional electrolyte for a superior stable Zn-metal anode.

Mitigated dendrite-growth Multifunctional additives Surface adsorption Zinc gluconate Zn-metal anode

SCI

English

First ; Corresponding

Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province[2022A1515011438];China Postdoctoral Science Foundation[2022M722168];National Outstanding Youth Science Fund Project of National Natural Science Foundation of China[21875097];National Outstanding Youth Science Fund Project of National Natural Science Foundation of China[22272204];

Chemistry ; Energy & Fuels ; Materials Science

Chemistry, Physical ; Energy & Fuels ; Materials Science, Multidisciplinary

WOS:000966264000001

ELSEVIER SCI LTD

2-s2.0-85150905435

Scopus

1.Department of Materials Science and Engineering,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Interfacial Science and Engineering of Materials,Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Joint Laboratory for Photonic-Thermal-Electrical Energy Materials and Devices,Southern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen,518055,China
2.Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Power Sources,College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering,Central South University,Changsha,410083,China
3.Guangdong Research Center for Interfacial Engineering of Functional Materials,College of Materials Science and Engineering,Shenzhen University,Shenzhen,518060,China
4.Department for Electrochemical Energy Storage,Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie,Berlin,Hahn-Meitner-Platz 1,Germany
5.Institute of Chemistry,University of Potsdam,Potsdam,Germany

Hao，Rui,Gu，Shuai,Wang，Zhiqiang,et al. Reconstructing the solvation structure and solid-liquid interface enables dendrite-free zinc-ion batteries[J]. Materials Today Energy,2023,33.

Hao，Rui.,Gu，Shuai.,Wang，Zhiqiang.,Chen，Jingjing.,Luo，Wen.,...&Lu，Zhouguang.(2023).Reconstructing the solvation structure and solid-liquid interface enables dendrite-free zinc-ion batteries.Materials Today Energy,33.

Hao，Rui,et al."Reconstructing the solvation structure and solid-liquid interface enables dendrite-free zinc-ion batteries".Materials Today Energy 33(2023).