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Published on: October 23, 2018
BandGap Modulated Charge Gating of Semiconductor Coatings Stabilizes Zinc Metal Anodes
Jiadong Wu1,2, Linyu Yang1, Kunjie Zhu3
1China Jiliang University College of Modern Science and Technology, Jinhua, China.
None:
Hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and uncontrolled dendrite growth remain persistent challenges for aqueous Zn-ion batteries (AZIBs). In this study, the Y element is utilized to adjust the bandgap width of the anode coating, thereby serving as electron transfer gating and consequently suppressing HER from a dynamic perspective. The Gibbs free energy (ΔGH*) data for H* adsorption reveal that the presence of the Y can hinder the desorption of H2 from the surface of the semiconductor coating. It effectively restrains HER from a thermodynamic viewpoint. Furthermore, the improved zincophilicity of the amorphous wide-bandgap semiconductor coating offers a multitude of uniform nucleation sites for Zn2+ deposition. A balance between H* adsorption and Zn2+ affinity is achieved by this wide bandgap semiconductor, enabling strong HER inhibition and highly efficient Zn-induced deposition. The symmetric cell achieves stable cycling for over 6700 h at 2 mA cm-2 and 1 mAh cm-2. Even under a high current density of 10 mA cm-2 and 5 mAh cm-2, a cycle life of 1200 h is maintained. The Zn-V full cell exhibits a cycling lifespan of 3800 cycles at 5 A g-1.
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