A Multifunctional Additive Based on the Cation-Anion Synergistic Effect for Highly Stable Zinc Metal Anodes

The Zn dendrite and hydrogen evolution reaction have been a "stubborn illness" for the life span of zinc anodes, which significantly hinders the development of aqueous zinc batteries (AZBs). Herein, considering the ingenious molecular structure, a multifunctional additive based on the synergistic regulation of cations and anions at the interface is designed to promote a dendrite-free and stable Zn anode. Theoretical calculations and characterization results verified that the electrostatic shield effect of the cation, the solvation sheath structure, and the bilayer structural solid electrolyte film (SEI) jointly account for the uniform Zn deposition and side reaction suppression. Ultimately, a remarkably high average Coulombic efficiency (CE) of 99.4% is achieved in the Zn||Cu cell for 300 cycles, and a steady charge/discharge cycling over 3000 and 300 h at 1.0 mA cm^-2/1.0 mAh cm^-2 and 10 mA cm^-2/10 mAh cm^-2 is obtained in the Zn||Zn cell. Furthermore, the assembled full battery demonstrates a prolonged cycle life of 2000 cycles.