Successive Gradient Internal Electric Field Strategy Toward Dendrite‐Free Zinc Metal Anode

Abstract

With the rapidly increasing demand for grid‐scale energy storage systems, rechargeable aqueous zinc ion batteries (ZIBs) are capturing attention as a highly promising technology with low cost and high safety. Nevertheless, rampant dendrite growth, hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and corrosion of the zinc anode have dramatically impacted their practical application. Here, a self‐supported modified layer with ultrafine high‐entropy nanoparticles (2 nm) as the zincophilic sites is realized to modify the Zn anode for the first time. High‐entropy materials with unique continuously distributed potential gaps significantly reduce the activation energy of multi‐electron reactions and modulate ion transport during zinc deposition. Moreover, thanks to the hydrophobic properties and effective desolventizing ability of the ultrafine high‐entropy nanomaterial, the unfavorable side reactions of the zinc anode are prevented to promote the zinc deposition process. As a result, stable cycling of 3500 h at 1 mA cm−2 and 600 h at a high current density of 10 mA cm−2 is achieved. Coin cells and flexible pouch cells assembled with KMO and NH4V4O10 cathodes also demonstrate promoted electrochemical performance. The dual effects of accelerating and homogenizing mechanisms in high‐entropy materials provide a new strategy for stabilizing zinc metal anodes.

Surface Modification Induces Oriented Zn(002) Deposition for Highly Stable Zinc Anode

“…The following supporting information can be downloaded at: https://www. mdpi.com/article/10.3390/batteries10060178/s1, Figure S1: Raman spectra of bare Zn and ZnO@Zn; Figure S2: SEM image of ZnO@Zn-30; Figure S3: SEM image of ZnO@Zn-70; Figure S4: Cross-sectional image of ZnO@Zn; Figure S5: TEM image of ZnO on ZnO@Zn; Figure S6: Galvanostatic cycling curves of Zn||Cu half cell; Figure S7: Comparison of average voltage hysteresis of ZnO@Zn in this work with the reported modified Zn anode in literature [40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48]; Figure S8: Long-term cycling performance of ZnO@Zn-30 at 2C; Figure S9: Long-term cycling performance of ZnO@Zn-70 at 2C; Figure S10: XRD patterns of bare Zn and ZnO@Zn after 400 cycles; Figure S11: XPS survey spectrum of bare Zn and ZnO@Zn after 400 cycles; Figure S12: Adsorption energy of bare Zn on different planes; Table S1: The proportion of element content of bare Zn and ZnO@Zn after 400 cycles.…”

Natural high-entropy interfaces with kinetics-boosted and water-desolventized effects for high-performance aqueous zinc ion batteries

“…31 Such continuously built-in electric fields are beneficial for realizing continuous and fast ion transport, which plays an essential role in regulating ion transport kinetics. 32 Moreover, the excellent catalytic activity of the HEMs contributes to reducing the activation energy of the chemical reactions, which is beneficial for further inhibiting dendrite formation. 33 Nevertheless, it should be noted that the synthesis of existing HEMs usually involves lengthy synthesis steps, complex synthesis conditions, and high energy consumption, which are not conducive to industrial large-scale applications and sustainable development.…”

Traditional and Iterative Group-IV Material Batteries through Ion Migration

“…The prerequisite for the implementation of ion migration technology lies in the construction of suitable electrodes, electrolytes, and media [1][2][3][4][5]. Currently, ion migration technology is primarily applied in emerging energy storage and conversion devices [6][7][8][9]. Examples include supercapacitors, which store and release energy through charge adsorption and ion migration [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19], and fuel cells based on ion exchange technology, where ions conduct for energy conversion [20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29].…”