Polymer Engineering for Stable Zinc Metal Anodes: From Molecular Design to Integrated Strategy

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) are promising for safe, low-cost energy storage.
• Zinc metal anode issues like dendritic growth, hydrogen evolution (HER), and interfacial corrosion limit AZIB performance and commercialization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review polymer strategies for overcoming interconnected failure mechanisms in AZIBs.
• To elucidate how rational polymer design achieves synergistic effects for improved battery performance.

Main Methods:

• Review of polymer-based strategies including artificial interface layers, modified separators, and 3D current collectors.
• Analysis of polymer contributions to ion transport, side reaction suppression, mechanical buffering, and electrolyte optimization.

Main Results:

• Polymers can directly modify electrode-electrolyte interfaces, functionalize separators, and form integrated 3D electrodes.
• Synergistic effects from polymer design address multiple failure modes simultaneously.

Conclusions:

• Intelligently designed polymer interfaces and wide-voltage electrolytes are key for high-performance AZIBs.
• Future work should integrate multiscale simulations and sustainable polymer systems for practical AZIB applications.