Modulating Solvation Shell with Acrylamide Electrolyte Additives for Reversible Zn Anodes

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) are promising due to zinc's high capacity and low cost.
• Zinc metal anodes suffer from dendrite growth and side reactions with water, limiting battery stability.
• Developing stable zinc anodes is crucial for practical ZIB applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance the stability and performance of zinc metal anodes in ZIBs.
• To mitigate detrimental side reactions and dendrite formation in aqueous electrolytes.
• To explore the use of acrylamide as a stabilizing additive for ZIB electrolytes.

Main Methods:

• Electrolyte modification with acrylamide (AM) additive.
• Electrochemical performance testing of Zn//Zn symmetric and Zn//VO2 full batteries.
• Analysis using experimental data and theoretical simulations to understand reaction mechanisms.

Main Results:

• Acrylamide reconstructs the Zn2+ solvation shell, reducing active water molecules and H2O decomposition.
• Zn//Zn symmetric batteries demonstrated over 2000 hours of stability at 1 mA cm-2.
• Zn//VO2 full batteries showed improved cycling performance and high initial discharge capacity.

Conclusions:

• Acrylamide additive effectively suppresses parasitic reactions and dendrite growth on zinc anodes.
• Electrolyte optimization via AM incorporation significantly enhances ZIB long-term stability and performance.
• This strategy provides valuable insights for developing advanced aqueous zinc-ion batteries.