Hydrated Eutectic Electrolyte with Ligand‐Oriented Solvation Shell to Boost the Stability of Zinc Battery

Abstract

Despite the substantial progress in cathode materials in the past few years, rechargeable zinc batteries (RZBs) are plagued by rapid performance degradation due to dendrite formation and notorious side reactions at the Zn anode side. Here, an optimized hydrated eutectic electrolyte (HEE) system containing methylsulfonylmethane, zinc perchlorate, and water, in which an organic ligand coordinated the solvation shell of Zn ions with water molecules constituting the eutectic network, is proposed. Compared to common aqueous solutions, this HEE system is proven effective in promoting the smooth Zn deposition and plating/stripping reversibility as well as suppressing side reactions. The vanadium-based zinc batteries based on this new HEE exhibit exceptionally high-capacity retention (≈100% retention even after 1600 cycles at a relatively small current density of 1000 mA g −1 ). This study offers a new type of electrolyte for RZBs and a deep understanding of the effect of Zn 2+ solvent sheath structure on the cycle reversibility.

A flexible and highly ion conductive polyzwitterionic eutectogel for quasi-solid state zinc ion batteries with efficient suppression of dendrite growth

“…6 shows the current densities of various hydrogels used for Zn ion batteries at various working times, and clearly, the PSPE eutectogel showed much higher performance than the other reported systems. 10,15,24,29,35,43,44 In addition, the zinc ion battery with the PSPE eutectogel electrolyte has an energy density of 165 W h kg À1 , and exhibits high performance compared to the currently reported zinc ion batteries (Fig. S17, ESI †).…”

“…[5][6][7][8][9] Both dendritic problems and detrimental side reactions are attributed to the active hydrated Zn(OH) 6 2+ ions and the amount of free water in common aqueous solutions. 10,11 At present, hydrogels, which adopt water-based solvents, are widely used as electrolytes in aqueous zinc ion batteries. [12][13][14] Compared with conventional aqueous electrolytes, hydrogels can inhibit the growth of dendrites to a certain extent and extend the lifespan of batteries.…”

Ammonium vanadate electrode materials with stable layered structures for rechargeable zinc ion batteries

“…[1][2][3][4] Recently, advanced energy technologies have attracted attention. [5][6][7][8] Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are widely applied in many electronic products including smartphones, mobile phones, electric vehicles, and laptops. However, organic electrolytes usually present a high cost and flammability, which limit their further application.…”

Hybrid Organic/Inorganic Interphase for Stabilizing a Zinc Metal Anode in a Mild Aqueous Electrolyte

“…Many effective strategies were proposed to enable uniform Zn deposition and inhibit side reactions, , such as designing a Zn micromesh to induce spatial-selection deposition, modifying the electrolyte with a cosolvent to change the solvation structure and form a beneficial solid interface, and constructing electrode–electrolyte interphases to protect zinc from parasitic reactions and regulate Zn 2+ deposition. − …”