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Published on: December 20, 2016
Aqueous Eutectic Electrolytes Design for Advanced Rechargeable Zinc-Ion Batteries
Guangbin Wang1, Guoqiang Wang1, Ye Liu1
1State Key Laboratory of Alternate Electrical Power System with Renewable Energy Sources, School of New Energy, North China Electric Power University, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China.
Aqueous eutectic electrolytes (AEEs) enhance rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries (RAZIBs) by stabilizing electrodes and improving low-temperature performance. This review explores AEEs
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Energy Storage
Background:
- Rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries (RAZIBs) offer sustainable, safe, and cost-effective large-scale energy storage.
- Conventional aqueous electrolytes (AEs) in RAZIBs suffer from dendrite growth, hydrogen evolution reactions (HER), and cathode dissolution, limiting practical use.
- Electrolyte engineering is crucial for overcoming these limitations in RAZIBs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically analyze the multifunctional roles of aqueous eutectic electrolytes (AEEs) in stabilizing electrodes and enhancing low-temperature performance in RAZIBs.
- To consolidate recent breakthroughs in AEE development for RAZIBs.
- To critically evaluate challenges and propose future research directions for AEE-empowered RAZIBs.
Main Methods:
- Review and consolidation of recent advancements in aqueous eutectic electrolyte (AEE) design for RAZIBs.
- Emphasis on three synergistic mechanisms: modulation of Zn²⁺ solvation structures, construction of robust solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), and cryoprotectant-inspired anti-freezing strategies.
- Critical evaluation of persistent challenges like limited voltage stability and interfacial compatibility.
Main Results:
- AEEs synergistically integrate the high ion conductivity of aqueous systems with the depressed freezing points of eutectic mixtures.
- Key mechanisms for AEEs include tuning Zn²⁺ solvation, forming stable SEI layers, and providing anti-freezing properties.
- AEEs show promise in mitigating dendrite growth, HER, and cathode dissolution, thereby improving RAZIB performance.
Conclusions:
- Aqueous eutectic electrolytes represent a promising strategy for developing practical and high-performance rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries.
- Further research into solvent-ligand coordination tuning and artificial SEI design is needed to address limitations.
- This review provides a roadmap for accelerating the deployment of AEE-empowered RAZIBs for grid-scale energy storage.
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