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Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Zinc-Sponge Battery Electrodes that Suppress Dendrites
Published on: September 29, 2020
Self-Sacrificial Sustained-Release Effects Synergistically Modulate Dual-Electrode Interfacial Chemistry in a
Xiaoli He1, Song Huang1,2, Yueliang Chen1
1School of Chemical Engineering and Light Industry, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China.
Abstract:
Electrolytic zinc-manganese batteries (ZMBs) featuring high energy density and low cost hold significant potential for large-scale energy storage. However, their development is hindered by severe zinc corrosion and poor reversibility of the Mn2+/MnO2 conversion, originating from drastic pH fluctuations and an acidic environment. Herein, we propose an organic/inorganic self-stratifying electrolyte, which synergizes with the self-sacrificial sustained-release Zn(BF4)2 to regulate the zinc interface and MnO2 conversion chemistry. The design innovatively utilizes the in situ hydrolysis of BF4- to create an HF/F- buffer and free F- ions. The former stabilizes cathode pH and promotes uniform deposition and deep conversion of MnO2. Additionally, the released F- fosters a robust ZnF2-rich SEI on the zinc anode in a water-lean environment (organic phase), effectively suppressing corrosion and side reactions. Therefore, the zinc-symmetric battery with an organic phase exhibited a lifespan of over 650 h, exceeding conventional aqueous electrolytes by 38-fold. The Zn-MnO2 batteries deliver exceptional stability for 1800 cycles at 2C with an average Coulombic efficiency of 98.7%. This biphasic buffering-interface regulation strategy provides a generalizable approach to decouple interfacial challenges, which is promising for extension to other corrosion cell systems.
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