Issue

Vol. 19 (2027)

Dual-Ion Co-Storage via Solvation Structure Tuning Toward Ultrafast and Durable Zinc-Organic Batteries

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-026-02304-7
Si Liu
School of Electronic and Information Engineering, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan 528000, People’s Republic of China
Zhifeng Lin
School of Electronic and Information Engineering, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan 528000, People’s Republic of China
Yanxia Yu
School of Applied Physics and Materials, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, People’s Republic of China
Haozhe Zhang
Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
Xihong Lu
The Key Lab of Low‑Carbon Chem & Energy Conservation of Guangdong Province, School of Chemistry, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, People’s Republic of China

Corresponding Author: Xihong Lu

luxh6@mail.sysu.edu.cn

Nano-Micro Letters, Vol. 19 (2027), Article Number: 7

Abstract

Aqueous Zn-organic batteries are promising due to the sustainability and tunability of organic cathodes. However, the critical challenge in their practical application lies in dissolution, degradation, and sluggish kinetics, ultimately degrading the cycling stability and rate capability. Herein, we demonstrate a simple effective electrolyte engineering strategy by introducing potassium chloride (KCl) as a co-solute into the ZnCl2 electrolyte to achieve high-performance Zn batteries utilizing 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA) as the cathode. Experimental studies and molecular dynamics simulations reveal that KCl addition not only enhances electrolyte conductivity but also modulates Zn2+ solvation environment to form [Zn(H2O)2Cl4]2−, significantly improving ion diffusion kinetics. Consequently, the Zn//PTCDA in the ZnCl2-KCl electrolyte exhibits a remarkable capacity of 124.7 mAh g−1 with an average voltage of 0.65 V, exceptional rate performance (56% capacity retention at 30 A g−1), and prolonged cycling performance (90.9% retention after 10,000 cycles). Experimental and density functional theory mechanistic studies unveil a new reversible Zn2+/K+ co-storage mechanism in the PTCDA cathode, where K+ acts as a charge shield and structural pillar, synergistically decreasing the ion migration energy barrier, enhancing reaction kinetics, and stabilizing the cathode structure. This work elucidates dual-ion storage chemistry and highlights rational electrolyte design for durable, high-power metal–organic batteries.


Highlights:
1 Introducing KCl into ZnCl2 electrolyte induces salting-out and suppresses 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA) dissolution.
2 The reversible Zn2+/K+ co-storage mechanism of the PTCDA cathode was unveil.
3 The assembled Zn//PTCDA battery exhibits superior electrochemical performance.
4 A high capacity of 124.7 mAh g−1 (91.7% of the theoretical capacity) at 1 A g−1 is achieved.

Keywords

Zinc-organic batteries Co-solute Solvation structure PTCDA
Liu, Si, Zhifeng Lin, Yanxia Yu, Haozhe Zhang, and Xihong Lu. 2026. “Dual-Ion Co-Storage via Solvation Structure Tuning Toward Ultrafast and Durable Zinc-Organic Batteries”. Nano-Micro Letters 19 (July):7. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-026-02304-7.
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