Interfacial Engineering via Halide Anion Derived Specific Adsorption Toward Regulated Deposition Kinetics for Zn...

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Aqueous rechargeable zinc-ion batteries offer potential for grid-scale energy storage.
• Challenges include zinc dendrite formation and parasitic reactions at the electrode-electrolyte interface.
• Current additive strategies for interfacial stabilization are often insufficient.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel strategy for stabilizing zinc anodes in aqueous electrolytes.
• To investigate the mechanism of halide anion chemisorption for interfacial protection.
• To enhance the electrochemical performance and cycle life of zinc-ion batteries.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing halide anions as specific adsorbates to form a stable interfacial layer on zinc anodes.
• Investigating the chemisorption mechanism through surface interactions and charge transfer.
• Conducting electrochemical tests on zinc//zinc symmetric cells and zinc//copper cells.
• Evaluating full cells with a NaV3O8·1.5H2O cathode.

Main Results:

• A chemisorbed Zn-halide layer was formed, enhancing interfacial stability and reducing desolvation energy.
• Zinc//zinc symmetric cells demonstrated stable operation for over 4900 hours at 1.0 mA cm⁻².
• Zinc//copper cells achieved an average Coulombic efficiency of 99.7%.
• Full cells exhibited improved rate capability and prolonged cycling performance.

Conclusions:

• Halide anion chemisorption is a robust and generalizable strategy for stabilizing zinc anodes.
• This approach effectively suppresses dendrite growth and parasitic reactions.
• The findings pave the way for highly reversible and durable aqueous zinc-ion batteries.