Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 28, 2026
06:58
Zinc-Sponge Battery Electrodes that Suppress Dendrites
Published on: September 29, 2020
4.1K
Bifunctional Keratin Enables Highly Stable Zinc Anodes via Interfacial Nucleation Regulation
Weiyu Teng1,2,3,4, Mengjiao Zheng1,2,3,4, Zhiwei Zhao1,2,3,4
1State Key Laboratory of Bio-based Fiber Materials, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, P. R. China.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|April 26, 2026
Summary
Sulfonated modified keratin (SBKP) enhances aqueous zinc-ion battery performance by forming a stable protective layer on zinc anodes. This protein-based strategy significantly extends battery cycle life and improves stability for micro-energy storage.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Biomaterials Engineering
Background:
- Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) are promising for energy storage but suffer from limited cycle life due to unstable zinc anodes.
- Traditional protein additives have low zinc affinity, hindering the formation of uniform solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layers.
- Developing effective interfacial engineering strategies is crucial for stabilizing zinc anodes in AZIBs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize sulfonated modified keratin (SBKP) with enhanced zinc affinity for stabilizing zinc anodes in AZIBs.
- To investigate the self-assembly behavior of SBKP and its role in forming a stable SEI layer.
- To evaluate the electrochemical performance and interfacial properties of SBKP-modified zinc anodes.
Main Methods:
- SBMA modification of keratin to create SBKP with enhanced zinc-binding groups.
- Characterization of SBKP's self-assembly and SEI formation on zinc foil.
- Electrochemical testing of SBKP@Zn symmetric cells and MnO2-based full cells.
- Analysis of interfacial charge transfer and hydrogen-bond network reconstruction.
Main Results:
- SBKP self-assembles into a uniform and stable SEI layer on the zinc anode surface.
- The sulfonic acid groups in SBKP facilitate uniform Zn2+ deposition via Lewis acid-base interactions.
- SBKP reconstructs the solvation shell, balancing ion transport and corrosion resistance.
- SBKP@Zn symmetric cells achieved a cycle life of 3281 hours at 1 mA cm-2.
- Full cells with a MnO2 cathode demonstrated stable cycling for over 1000 cycles.
Conclusions:
- SBKP is a highly effective biomaterial for interfacial engineering of zinc anodes in AZIBs.
- The developed strategy offers a scalable approach to enhance the cycle life and stability of aqueous micro-energy storage systems.
- This work provides valuable insights for designing advanced energy storage devices for flexible electronics.
Keywords:
aqueous zinc‐ion batteriesdendrite‐free zinc depositionkeratin‐based interphasezinc anode stabilizationzinc‐affinity groupMore Related Videos
07:45Electrophoretic Crystallization of Ultrathin High-performance Metal-organic Framework Membranes
Published on: August 16, 2018
9.7K
09:22Synthesis and Performance Evaluations of ZnCoS/ZnCdS with Twin Crystal Structure for Multifunctional Redox Photocatalysis in Energy Applications
Published on: July 25, 2025
952
Related Concept Videos
03:45Formation of Complex Ions
18.8K
A type of Lewis acid-base chemistry involves the formation of a complex ion (or a coordination complex) comprising a central atom, typically a transition metal cation, surrounded by ions or molecules called ligands. These ligands can be neutral molecules like H2O or NH3, or ions such as CN− or OH−. Often, the ligands act as Lewis bases, donating a pair of electrons to the central atom. These types of Lewis acid-base reactions are examples of a broad subdiscipline called coordination...
18.8K
01:26EDTA: Auxiliary Complexing Reagents
1.6K
EDTA titrations are usually carried out in highly basic conditions, where the fully deprotonated form of EDTA, Y4−, actively complexes with the free metal ions in the solution. Several metal ions precipitate as hydrous oxide (hydroxides, oxides, or oxyhydroxides) under these conditions, lowering the concentration of free metal ions in the solution. For this reason, auxiliary complexing agents or ligands such as ammonia, tartrate, citrate, or triethanolamine are used in EDTA titrations to...
1.6K
03:02Standard Electrode Potentials
37.7K
On comparing the reactivity of silver and lead, it is observed that the two ionic species, Ag+ (aq) and Pb2+ (aq), show a difference in their redox reactivity towards copper: the silver ion undergoes spontaneous reduction, while the lead ion does not. This relative redox activity can be easily quantified in electrochemical cells by a property called cell potential. This property is commonly known as cell voltage in electrochemistry, and it is a measure of the energy which accompanies the charge...
37.7K
01:17Ziegler–Natta Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview
2.3K
Ziegler–Natta polymerization is another form of addition or chain‐growth polymerization used for synthesizing linear polymers over branched polymers. The catalyst used for polymerization is the Ziegler–Natta catalyst, named after Karl Ziegler and Giulio Natta, who developed it in 1953. This catalyst is an organometallic complex of titanium tetrachloride and triethyl aluminum, with the active form of the catalyst being an alkyl titanium compound. Using the Ziegler–Natta...
2.3K
01:09Complexation Equilibria: Factors Influencing Stability of Complexes
992
In complexation reactions, metal cations are the electron pair acceptors, and the ligands are the electron pair donors. The stability of the metal complexes depends primarily on the complexing ability of the central metal ion and the nature of the ligands. Generally, the complexing ability of the metal ion depends on the size and charge of the ion. As the metal ion size increases, the stability of the metal complexes decreases, provided that the valency of the metal ion and the ligands remain...
992