Cerebral Cortex Inspired Bio-Interface Engineering: Fast Zn Ions Reaction Kinetics for Low-Temperature Energy Storage

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Bio-inspired Engineering

Background:

• Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (CAZBs) face challenges in low-temperature performance due to slow Zn²⁺ transport and high desolvation energy barriers.
• Developing stable and efficient CAZBs for extreme conditions is crucial for practical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer a biomimetic interface for CAZBs that enhances low-temperature ion transport and charge transfer.
• To investigate the effect of hierarchical carbon spheres with sulcus-gyrus architectures (HCSs-sg) on battery performance.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of HCSs-sg using a bio-inspired interface engineering strategy mimicking the cerebral cortex.
• Electrochemical characterization of the HCSs-sg modified electrodes in CAZBs at subzero temperatures.
• Analysis of ion transport mechanisms and interfacial properties.

Main Results:

• The HCSs-sg structure significantly increases pseudocapacitive active sites and generates directional micro-electric fields and ionic concentration gradients.
• Synergistic acceleration of Zn²⁺ transport via diffusion and coulombic forces.
• Enhanced Zn²⁺ adsorption and reduced desolvation barriers at the electrode-electrolyte interface.
• Achieved a specific capacity of 70 mAh g^-1 at 0.1 A g^-1 at -25°C.
• Demonstrated excellent cycling stability with nearly 100% coulombic efficiency over 10,000 cycles at 1 A g^-1.

Conclusions:

• The biomimetic HCSs-sg design effectively addresses the limitations of CAZBs at low temperatures.
• This interface engineering approach offers a promising strategy for developing high-performance aqueous batteries for extreme environments.