Proton-selective coating enables fast-kinetics high-mass-loading cathodes for sustainable zinc batteries.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 38459016.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-024-46464-9 and PMC identifier 10923785.
- 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
The pressing demand for sustainable energy storage solutions has spurred the burgeoning development of aqueous zinc batteries. However, kinetics-sluggish Zn<sup>2+</sup> as the dominant charge carriers in cathodes leads to suboptimal charge-storage capacity and durability of aqueous zinc batteries. Here, we discover that an ultrathin two-dimensional polyimine membrane, featured by dual ion-transport nanochannels and rich proton-conduction groups, facilitates rapid and selective proton passing. Subsequently, a distinctive electrochemistry transition shifting from sluggish Zn<sup>2+</sup>-dominated to fast-kinetics H<sup>+</sup>-dominated Faradic reactions is achieved for high-mass-loading cathodes by using the polyimine membrane as an interfacial coating. Notably, the NaV<sub>3</sub>O<sub>8</sub>·1.5H<sub>2</sub>O cathode (10 mg cm<sup>-2</sup>) with this interfacial coating exhibits an ultrahigh areal capacity of 4.5 mAh cm<sup>-2</sup> and a state-of-the-art energy density of 33.8 Wh m<sup>-2</sup>, along with apparently enhanced cycling stability. Additionally, we showcase the applicability of the interfacial proton-selective coating to different cathodes and aqueous electrolytes, validating its universality for developing reliable aqueous batteries.