Regulating Interfacial Dynamic Self-Adjusting Hydrophobic Layer via Cationic Molecular Structure for Ultra-Stable...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Solution additive structure critically influences metal battery polarization and dendrite formation.
• Understanding the anode interface adsorption layer's stability is key to battery performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel synergistic regulation strategy based on hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) value and spatial configuration of additives.
• To elucidate the structure-activity relationship between additive ion structure and anode interface stability.

Main Methods:

• Systematic selection and evaluation of cations with varying structures as electrolyte additives.
• Analysis of the anode interface adsorption layer's stability and protective properties.
• Electrochemical performance testing of metal batteries utilizing the developed additives.

Main Results:

• The butyltrimethylammonium chloride additive (ADD4), with a low HLB value and linear structure, formed the most stable interfacial structure.
• ADD4 spontaneously assembled into a hydrophobic region, repelling hydrated protons and reducing overpotential.
• Batteries with ADD4 demonstrated exceptional stability, exceeding 1700 cycles with 99.7% average Coulombic efficiency.

Conclusions:

• The hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) value and spatial configuration synergistic regulation strategy is effective for designing stable anode interfaces.
• ADD4 significantly enhances metal battery cyclability and efficiency by forming a robust protective layer.
• This approach is crucial for developing advanced electrolyte-electrode interface layers for practical battery applications.