Tailoring the hydrophobicity and zincophilicity of poly(ionic liquid) solid–electrolyte interphases for ultra-stable aqueous zinc batteries

Abstract

Despite the enormous potential of zinc metal as an anode material for cost-competitive and safer power sources, the practical application of aqueous zinc batteries (AZIBs) has been plagued by uncontrollable...

Enhancing the Performance of Reversible Zn Deposition by Ultrathin Polyelectrolyte Coatings

“…While the cationic character of PDDA is due to the presence of the positively charged ammonium groups, PEI undergoes protonation in water, even at relatively high pH values thus becoming positively charged. , Charged polymeric coatings have been documented to interact with metal ions at the electrode surface, resulting in a more controlled and efficient electrodeposition process. , It has been proposed that positively charged polymeric layers help distribute metal ions more evenly across the surface by electrostatically preventing the accumulation of high metal ion concentrations at heterogeneous regions on the electrode surface. , Another possible contributing factor to the improved electrodeposition efficiency is the hydrophobic and electrostatically charged nature of both polyelectrolyte layers. These hydrophobic and charged coatings repel water molecules from the electrode surface. , The simultaneous reduction of Zn 2+ and water at the electrified interface leads to the local increase of the electrolyte pH, particularly in the SO 4 2– environment, consequently leading to the formation of zinc hydroxide sulfate (ZHS) layers. Apart from their direct influence on the CE values, the presence of these insulating layers on the anode’s surface significantly affects the homogeneity of the applied electric field, which can result in nonuniform Zn growth and cell failure.…”

“…These hydrophobic and charged coatings repel water molecules from the electrode surface. 33 , 34 The simultaneous reduction of Zn 2+ and water at the electrified interface leads to the local increase of the electrolyte pH, particularly in the SO 4 2– environment, consequently leading to the formation of zinc hydroxide sulfate (ZHS) layers. Apart from their direct influence on the CE values, the presence of these insulating layers on the anode’s surface significantly affects the homogeneity of the applied electric field, which can result in nonuniform Zn growth and cell failure.…”

Poly(ionic liquid)s: an emerging platform for green chemistry

“…Based on this, Zheng et al 237 polymerized a series of PILs with different hydrophobicity onto Zn electrodes to generate artificial SEI by regulating the anions. The key roles of hydrophobicity and zincophilicity in customizing PIL-SEI were also studied.…”

Engineering Interphasial Chemistry for Zn Anodes in Aqueous Zinc Ion Batteries

“…Still, these coating methods are faced with the problems of cracks and shedding of the protective layer during the operation of the battery. At present, the protection of the zinc anode interphase can also be achieved by chemical methods such as acid leaching and adding electrolyte additives (Figure a) …”

“…(a) Schematic diagram of the desolvation mechanism of Zn 2+ . Adapted from Ref . Copyright 2023, RSC publishing.…”