A Vacancy-Rich Core-Shell Artificial Solid Electrolyte Interphase Design to Manage Anode Chemistry for Aqueous Zinc...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Aqueous zinc-based batteries offer a safe and sustainable energy storage solution.
• Challenges for zinc anodes include dendrite growth, corrosion, and self-discharge.
• Defective titanium dioxide (TiO2-x) shows promise for addressing anode interfacial issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a core-shell defective TiO2-x nanocomposite as an artificial solid electrolyte interphase (a-SEI) for zinc anodes.
• To enhance the stability and performance of zinc anodes in aqueous battery systems.
• To explore the structural tunability of TiO2-x for advanced zinc chemistry.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a mesoporous, core-shell defective TiO2-x nanocomposite.
• Application of the nanocomposite as an artificial solid electrolyte interphase (a-SEI) on zinc anodes.
• Characterization using ex-situ and in-situ measurements to evaluate interfacial properties and electrochemical performance.

Main Results:

• The mesoporous a-SEI provides active sites, improves electrolyte wettability, and creates a robust interface.
• The defective a-SEI enhances zinc affinity, guiding uniform plating and reducing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) reactivity.
• Modified Zn anodes exhibit significantly stabilized cycling performance in symmetric cells and Zn-I2 full cells.

Conclusions:

• The defective TiO2-x-based a-SEI is an effective strategy for improving zinc anode performance in aqueous batteries.
• This approach offers a feasible solution for stabilizing Zn anodes and mitigating common interfacial issues.
• The study broadens the application scope of tunable TiO2-x materials in advanced energy storage.