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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 battery performance, overcoming limitations like capacity decay and sluggish conversion.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Energy Storage
Background:
- Aqueous zinc-selenium (Zn-Se) batteries face challenges including slow solid-solid conversion, voltage hysteresis, and capacity fade.
- These limitations hinder the practical application of Zn-Se batteries for energy storage.
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 and cycle stability of Zn-Se batteries.
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; analyzed electrochemical performance including capacity, retention, and polarization.
Main Results:
- The Fe SAs@PNC cathode with GuI additive demonstrated significantly reduced selenium reduction reaction barriers.
- The GuI additive improved Zn2+ coordination and weakened the Zn-Se bond, facilitating reversible conversion.
- Achieved high capacity (665.7 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles) and excellent long-term stability (499.6 mAh g−1 over 1000 cycles) with low polarization (0.30 V).
Conclusions:
- The combination of Fe single-atom catalysis and GuI electrolyte additive effectively addresses the limitations of aqueous Zn-Se batteries.
- The developed system exhibits highly reversible Se/ZnSe conversion, paving the way for advanced aqueous battery technologies.
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