Nanoscale Ultrafine Zinc Metal Anodes for High Stability Aqueous Zinc Ion Batteries.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 36594815.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c03919 and PMC identifier 9881152.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Aqueous Zn batteries (AZBs) are a promising energy storage technology, due to their high theoretical capacity, low redox potential, and safety. However, dendrite growth and parasitic reactions occurring at the surface of metallic Zn result in severe instability. Here we report a new method to achieve ultrafine Zn nanograin anodes by using ethylene glycol monomethyl ether (EGME) molecules to manipulate zinc nucleation and growth processes. It is demonstrated that EGME complexes with Zn<sup>2+</sup> to moderately increase the driving force for nucleation, as well as adsorbs on the Zn surface to prevent H-corrosion and dendritic protuberances by refining the grains. As a result, the nanoscale anode delivers high Coulombic efficiency (ca. 99.5%), long-term cycle life (over 366 days and 8800 cycles), and outstanding compatibility with state-of-the-art cathodes (ZnVO and AC) in full cells. This work offers a new route for interfacial engineering in aqueous metal-ion batteries, with significant implications for the commercial future of AZBs.