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Zinc-Sponge Battery Electrodes that Suppress Dendrites
Published on: September 29, 2020
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A weakly solvating electrolyte towards practical rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries
Xin Shi1, Jinhao Xie1, Jin Wang1
1MOE of the Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Synthetic Chemistry, The Key Lab of Low-carbon Chem & Energy Conservation of Guangdong Province, School of Chemistry, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, PR China.
Nature Communications
|January 5, 2024
Summary
A new electrolyte reduces water
Area of Science:
- Electrochemistry
- Materials Science
Background:
- Aqueous zinc-ion batteries face challenges due to structure deterioration and side reactions caused by solvated water.
- These issues limit the practical application of both cathode and anode materials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a weakly solvating electrolyte for aqueous zinc-ion batteries.
- To mitigate water-induced degradation and improve battery performance.
Main Methods:
- Formulation of a novel electrolyte with reduced water solvation.
- Utilizing experimental results and theoretical simulations to analyze solvation structures.
- Testing full cells with various cathode materials (Zn/NaV3O8·1.5H2O, Zn/MnO2, Zn/CoFe(CN)6).
Main Results:
- Achieved a water-poor solvation structure for Zn2+ ions.
- Eliminated undesirable side reactions on the zinc anode.
- Enhanced Zn2+ desolvation kinetics, suppressed dendrite growth, and prevented cathode structural aberration.
- Demonstrated long-life performance in multiple full-cell configurations.
Conclusions:
- The weakly solvating electrolyte effectively suppresses detrimental side reactions and structural degradation.
- Enables high-performance and stable aqueous zinc-ion batteries.
- Successfully assembled practical AA-type Zn/NVO cells with excellent capacity and cycle stability.
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