Atomic Zincophilic Sites Regulating Microspace Electric Fields for Dendrite-Free Zinc Anode.

Fan, Wenjie; Li, Ping; Shi, Jing; Chen, Jingwei; Tian, Weiqian; Wang, Huanlei; Wu, Jingyi; Yu, Guihua · Adv Mater · 2024

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Aqueous Zn metal batteries are promising candidates for large-scale energy storage due to their intrinsic advantages. However, Zn tends to deposit irregularly and forms dendrites driven by the uneven space electric field distribution near the Zn-electrolyte interphase. Herein it is demonstrated that trace addition of Co single atom anchored carbon (denoted as CoSA/C) in the electrolyte regulates the microspace electric field at the Zn-electrolyte interphase and unifies Zn deposition. Through preferential adsorption of CoSA/C on the Zn surface, the atomically dispersed Co-N<sub>3</sub> with strong charge polarization effect can redistribute the local space electric field and regulate ion flux. Moreover, the dynamic adsorption/desorption of CoSA/C upon plating/stripping offers sustainable long-term regulation. Therefore, Zn||Zn symmetric cells with CoSA/C electrolyte additive deliver stable cycling up to 1600 h (corresponding to a cumulative plated capacity of 8 Ah cm<sup>-2</sup> ) at a high current density of 10 mA cm<sup>-2</sup> , demonstrating the sustainable feature of microspace electric field regulation at high current density and capacity.