Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 14, 2025
08:06
Merging Ion Concentration Polarization between Juxtaposed Ion Exchange Membranes to Block the Propagation of the Polarization Zone
Published on: February 23, 2017
8.5K
Transient Zwitterions Dynamics Empowered Adaptive Interface for Ultra-Stable Zn Plating/Stripping
Xingxing Wu1,2, Yufan Xia1, Shuang Chen1
1School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|October 11, 2023
Summary
Zwitterion additives create adaptive interfaces for highly reversible zinc anodes in zinc-ion batteries. This breakthrough enhances cycling stability and Coulombic efficiency, paving the way for commercialization.
Area of Science:
- Electrochemistry
- Materials Science
- Battery Technology
Background:
- Reversible zinc anodes are critical for commercial zinc-ion batteries.
- Interfacial microstructure changes due to charge density fluctuations impact anode reversibility.
- Previous research has overlooked the dynamic nature of the electric double layer.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a highly reversible zinc anode by creating an adaptive interface.
- To investigate the role of zwitterion additives in stabilizing the zinc anode interface.
- To understand the relationship between interfacial charge density and zwitterion dynamics.
Main Methods:
- Utilized zwitterion additives in a ZnSO4 electrolyte.
- Employed ab initio molecular dynamics simulations to study zwitterion behavior.
- Conducted Zn/Zn symmetric cell tests to evaluate anode performance.
Main Results:
- Achieved an average Coulombic efficiency of 99.85% for the zinc anode.
- Demonstrated enhanced cycling stability for 700 hours with minimal voltage hysteresis (29 mV at 5 mA cm⁻²).
- Simulations revealed zwitterion orientation and adsorption are dependent on electrode charging state.
Conclusions:
- An adaptive interface strategy based on transient zwitterion dynamics effectively enhances zinc anode reversibility.
- This approach offers a new pathway for developing high-utilization, reversible metal anodes.
- The findings are crucial for advancing zinc-ion battery technology.
Related Concept Videos
01:17Ion Exchange
605
Ion exchange chromatography separates charged molecules from a solution by reversibly exchanging them with mobile, or 'active', ions associated with the oppositely charged stationary phase. This method can be used to separate ions, soften and deionize water, and purify solutions. The polymers comprising the ion-exchange column are high-molecular-weight and chemically stable polymers, crosslinked to be porous and essentially insoluble. They are also functionalized with either acidic or...
605
03:45Formation of Complex Ions
23.7K
A type of Lewis acid-base chemistry involves the formation of a complex ion (or a coordination complex) comprising a central atom, typically a transition metal cation, surrounded by ions or molecules called ligands. These ligands can be neutral molecules like H2O or NH3, or ions such as CN− or OH−. Often, the ligands act as Lewis bases, donating a pair of electrons to the central atom. These types of Lewis acid-base reactions are examples of a broad subdiscipline called coordination...
23.7K
01:09Colloidal precipitates
596
The high insolubility of some precipitates can result in an unfavorable relative supersaturation. This can lead to colloidal particles with a large surface-to-mass ratio, where adsorption is promoted. For instance, in the precipitation of silver chloride, silver ions are adsorbed on the surface of the colloidal particles, forming a primary layer. This layer attracts ions of opposite charge (such as nitrate ions), forming a diffuse secondary layer of adsorbed ions. This electric double layer...
596
01:26EDTA: Auxiliary Complexing Reagents
598
EDTA titrations are usually carried out in highly basic conditions, where the fully deprotonated form of EDTA, Y4−, actively complexes with the free metal ions in the solution. Several metal ions precipitate as hydrous oxide (hydroxides, oxides, or oxyhydroxides) under these conditions, lowering the concentration of free metal ions in the solution. For this reason, auxiliary complexing agents or ligands such as ammonia, tartrate, citrate, or triethanolamine are used in EDTA titrations to...
598
01:06Interfacial Electrochemical Methods: Overview
258
Interfacial electrochemical methods focus on the phenomena occurring at the boundary between an electrode and a solution, as opposed to bulk methods that concentrate on the solution's overall properties. These interfacial methods are classified as either static or dynamic based on the presence of a nonzero current in the electrochemical cell and the consistency of analyte concentrations. Static methods, such as potentiometry, measure the cell's potential without any significant current...
258
00:56Extraction: Advanced Methods
466
Metal ions can be separated from one another by complexation with organic ligands–the chelating agent– to form uncharged chelates. Here, the chelating agent must contain hydrophobic groups and behave as a weak acid, losing a proton to bind with the metal. Since most organic ligands used in this process are insoluble or undergo oxidation in the aqueous phase, the chelating agent is initially added to the organic phase and extracted into the aqueous phase. The metal-ligand complex is...
466