Promoting Preferential Zn (002) Deposition with a Low-Concentration Electrolyte Additive for Highly Reversible Zn-Ion...

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Aqueous zinc-ion batteries offer a sustainable and cost-effective energy storage solution.
• Key challenges include zinc dendrite formation and parasitic side reactions, limiting battery lifespan and performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of sodium benzoate (NaBZ) as an electrolyte additive in aqueous zinc-ion batteries.
• To improve the stability of the electrode-electrolyte interface and promote uniform zinc deposition.

Main Methods:

• Electrochemical characterization of zinc-ion batteries with and without NaBZ additive.
• Surface analysis techniques to study zinc deposition behavior.
• Computational modeling to understand NaBZ adsorption and interaction with the zinc surface.

Main Results:

• NaBZ adsorbs onto the zinc surface, inhibiting side reactions and guiding homogeneous deposition on the Zn (002) crystal plane.
• Zn|Zn symmetric cells demonstrated stable cycling for over 1000 hours at 0.5 mA cm^-2.
• Zn|Cu cells exhibited high Coulombic efficiency (99.05%), and Zn|Na_0.33V₂O₅ full cells achieved a capacity of 124 mAh g^-1 over 600 hours.

Conclusions:

• Low-concentration NaBZ is an effective electrolyte additive for stabilizing aqueous zinc-ion batteries.
• This strategy promotes reversible zinc plating/stripping and enhances overall battery performance.
• Presents a cost-effective method for developing high-performance and durable zinc-ion energy storage systems.