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Synergistic Single‑Atom Catalysis and Electrolyte Additive Engineering Enables High‑Performance Aqueous Zn-Se
Xiaoyu Yang1, Guochao Zhao1, Xueyan Yang1
1College of Materials Science and Engineering, North Minzu University, Yinchuan, People's Republic of China.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|August 6, 2026
Summary
This study introduces an iron single-atom catalyst and guanidinium iodide additive to improve aqueous zinc-selenium batteries. These advancements significantly enhance cycling stability and energy efficiency for better battery performance.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Energy Storage
Background:
- Aqueous Zn-Se batteries face challenges including slow Se/ZnSe conversion, voltage hysteresis, and capacity fade.
- These limitations hinder the practical application of Zn-Se batteries in energy storage systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To overcome the limitations of aqueous Zn-Se batteries by developing novel cathode and electrolyte strategies.
- To enhance the electrochemical performance, specifically focusing on the solid-solid conversion kinetics and cycle life.
Main Methods:
- Integration of an iron single-atom catalytic host (Fe SAs@PNC) with a guanidinium iodide (GuI) electrolyte additive in a 3 M ZnSO4 electrolyte.
- Utilized Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations to investigate reaction mechanisms and catalytic effects.
- Characterized the cathode material's structure, porosity, and Se loading, and analyzed electrochemical performance including capacity, retention, and polarization.
Main Results:
- Fe SAs@PNC demonstrated strong Se affinity and a hierarchical porous structure, facilitating high Se loading.
- Fe-N4 sites significantly lowered the selenium reduction reaction barrier, enabling a thermodynamically favorable process.
- GuI additive improved Zn2+ coordination and weakened the Zn-Se bond, enhancing reversibility.
- The optimized battery system achieved high capacity (665.7 mAh g-1 after 100 cycles) with excellent retention (86.75%) and long-term stability (499.6 mAh g-1 over 1000 cycles).
Conclusions:
- The combination of Fe SAs@PNC and GuI effectively addresses the sluggish conversion and capacity decay issues in aqueous Zn-Se batteries.
- The developed system exhibits a highly reversible Se/ZnSe conversion, characterized by a flat discharge plateau and low polarization (0.30 V).
- This work presents a promising strategy for advancing high-performance aqueous selenium-based batteries.
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