Rapid, Large-Scale, Low-Energy-Consumption, Zero-Carbon Production of High-Efficiency Electrolytes for Sustainable Zinc-Ion Batteries.

Abstract

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries hold promise for grid-scale storage, yet engineering viability is constrained by dendrite growth and parasitic reactions at the Zn anode. Imidazole-based organic molecules are used as electrolyte additives to systematically assess how molecular conformation and side-chain functionality act at the electrode-electrolyte interface. The imidazole-based molecules, with highly electronegative ring N atoms, preferentially adsorb on Zn and form a compact interfacial layer; functionalized side chains hinder water accumulation, effectively suppress dendrites and side reactions, and promote uniform zinc deposition. Consequently, Zn||Zn symmetric cells and Zn||VO full cells exhibit durable cycling. In parallel, a unified statistical-process framework is established to jointly evaluate the process burden index (Y) and relative energy consumption index (E). Within this framework, imidazole-based electrolyte additives reduce relative energy consumption by up to 96.8% in large-scale manufacturing. This work provides guidance for large-scale, low-cost, and low-carbon fabrication of AZIBs.