Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2026
06:58
Zinc-Sponge Battery Electrodes that Suppress Dendrites
Published on: September 29, 2020
Artificial Solid Electrolyte Interphase Engineering Enables Stable Zinc Metal Anodes: Recent Advances and
Jixiang Yi1, Fei Wang1, Xiao Li1
1Hubei Key Laboratory of Micro-Nanoelectronic Materials and Devices, School of Integrated Circuits, Hubei University, Wuhan, P. R. China.
Chemical Record (New York, N.Y.)
|July 21, 2026
Summary
Artificial solid electrolyte interphases (SEI) enhance aqueous zinc-ion battery (AZIB) safety and performance by stabilizing the zinc anode interface. This review details artificial SEI design, fabrication, and their role in overcoming limitations of natural SEI layers for better energy storage.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Energy Storage
Background:
- Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) offer safe, low-cost energy storage but suffer from zinc anode instability due to dendrites and side reactions.
- The solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) is crucial for anode protection but natural SEI is unstable during cycling.
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize design principles and performance parameters of artificial SEI layers for AZIBs.
- To review recent progress in artificial SEI optimization strategies and construction methods.
- To analyze the advantages, limitations, and mechanisms of various artificial SEI types.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature review of artificial SEI fabrication (in situ, ex situ) and composition (inorganic, organic, composite).
- Analysis of interfacial regulation mechanisms and performance enhancement.
- Discussion of future research directions and challenges.
Main Results:
- Artificial SEI offers controllable manipulation of composition and structure for enhanced performance.
- Artificial SEI integrates multiple functions, including ion-transport modulation and physical protection.
- Various artificial SEI types (inorganic, organic, composite) demonstrate distinct advantages and limitations.
Conclusions:
- Artificial SEI is a key strategy to overcome natural SEI limitations and improve AZIB stability and longevity.
- Further research into artificial SEI design and construction is essential for high-performance AZIB development.
- Understanding interfacial regulation mechanisms is critical for guiding future AZIB advancements.
Related Concept Videos
01:08Electrodeposition
Electrodeposition is a technique used to separate an analyte from interferents by electrochemical processes. Here, the analyte is a metal ion that can be deposited on an electrode immersed in the sample solution. The electrochemical setup consists of an anode and a cathode. When an electric current is applied to the setup, oxidation occurs at the anode. At the cathode, which consists of a large metal surface, metal ions undergo reduction and deposit onto the surface.
Electrodeposition can...
Electrodeposition can...
03:02Standard Electrode Potentials
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...
01:24Types of Reversible Electrodes
For electrode reversibility to be maintained, all the reactants and products involved in the half-reaction must be present at the electrode. There are several types of reversible electrodes (half-cells).In metal-metal-ion electrodes, a metal balances electrochemically with a solution of its own ions. Examples are Cu2+|Cu and Zn2+|Zn. Metals that react with the solvent, like group 1 and most group 2 metals, which react with water, and zinc, which reacts with aqueous acidic solutions, cannot be...
01:28Electrochemical Cells
Electrochemical cells are systems that convert chemical energy into electrical energy or use electrical energy to drive chemical reactions. They consist of two electrodes in contact with an electrolyte, where redox reactions enable electron transfer. Most electrochemical cells include two half-cells connected by an external wire for electron flow and a salt bridge for ion flow. The salt bridge contains an electrolyte solution and maintains charge neutrality by allowing ions—not electrons—to...