Decoupling Ion–Dipole Interactions via Competitive Coordination for Durable Dendrite-Free Zinc Metal Batteries
Corresponding Author: Jian Wang
Nano-Micro Letters,
Vol. 19 (2027), Article Number: 24
Abstract
The aqueous zinc metal batteries (AZMBs) are famous for high-safety and high-energy-density, but limited by severe challenges around the Helmholtz plane layer such as the strong ion–dipole interactions between Zn2+ and H2O, resulting in slow desolvation processes and limited transport kinetics as well as corresponding higher barriers. To reconstruct the ion–dipole surroundings, the interface chemistry of employing a high permanent dipole moment of L-Carnosine (L-CN) has been proposed, weakening the interactions between Zn2+ and H2O to realize a crowded Zn2+-conductive structure, accelerating the desolvation kinetics. As revealed, the strong affinity between L-CN and Zn2+ enables the L-CN molecules to repulse H2O, reconfiguring the inner Helmholtz plane layer, thereby inhibiting the active water molecular to form hydrogen evolution reactions. Consequently, the Zn//Zn symmetric cells with Helmholtz plane modulation achieve a long lifespan up to 7000 h, a high Coulombic efficiency of 99.72%, and a high stabilization at high depth of discharge (85.4%). The assembled Zn//V2O5−x full cell with optimal electrolyte delivers the capacity of 289 mAh g−1 after 500 cycles at 1 A g−1 under an N/P ratio of 3.98. Impressively, the large-scale pouch cell with optimal electrolyte stabilizes for 200 cycles, offering the bright future of reconstructing Helmholtz plane for achieving high-performance AZMBs.
Highlights:
1 A competitive permanent dipole L-Carnosine (L-CN) is introduced to interact with Zn2+ in the Zn2+–H2O solvation shell and form Zn2+(L-CN)y(H2O)x structure, enhancing the desolvation kinetics of [Zn(H2O)6]2+ and diffusion kinetics of zinc ions/atoms.
2 The L-CN molecule forms a crowded Zn2+-conductive structure and remodels the inner Helmholtz plane layer with abundant Zn2+ flux, enabling durable dendrite-free Zn deposition.
3 The cells with optimal electrolyte stabilize for 7000 h, a high Coulombic efficiency of 99.72%, and even stabilize over 200 h under a high depth of discharge of 85.4%. The assembled Zn//V2O5−x full cell delivers the capacity of 289 mAh g−1 after 500 cycles at 1 A g−1 under an N/P ratio of 3.98.
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