Oriented Zn Deposition for Stable Anodes via Long-Chain Molecular Interfacial Engineering

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Zinc anodes are crucial for rechargeable batteries but suffer from dendrite growth and parasitic reactions.
• These issues limit battery lifespan and safety, hindering practical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a molecular strategy for interfacial engineering of zinc anodes.
• To suppress dendrite formation and parasitic reactions for enhanced battery performance.

Main Methods:

• Introduction of a long-chain molecular additive for interfacial control.
• Analysis of molecular adsorption, solvation sheath modification, and solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation.
• Electrochemical testing of symmetric and full cells with high-loading zinc anodes.

Main Results:

• The additive promoted biased adsorption and tailored the solvation sheath, forming a ZnS-containing SEI.
• Achieved Zn(002)-preferred deposition and stabilized Zn2+ transport, suppressing dendrites and hydrogen evolution.
• Demonstrated exceptional cycling stability (>2900 h in symmetric cells, 1000 cycles in full cells) with high Coulombic efficiency (>99.81%).

Conclusions:

• The molecular additive effectively regulates zinc deposition and interfacial chemistry.
• This approach offers a promising pathway for designing stable and high-performance zinc-based batteries.
• Provides fundamental insights into molecular design for controlling metal electrodeposition.