Achieving stable Zn metal anode through novel interface design with multifunctional electrolyte additive

Liang，Zhenye1; Li，Chao2; Zuo，Daxian1; Zeng，Lin1,2; Ling，Tong3; Han，Jiajia4; Wan，Jiayu1,2,5

2023-11-01

10.1016/j.ensm.2023.102980

Energy Storage Materials   影响因子和分区

2405-8297

Rechargeable aqueous Zn batteries (RAZBs) are promising for energy storage systems as they are intrinsically safe, cost-effective and environmentally friendly. However, undesired dendrites and corrosion side reactions worsen at cycling, which limit the reversibility and scalable application of RAZBs. This issue arises from the undesired side reactions from corrosion of Zn in regular aqueous electrolytes, which lead to formation of side products, nonuniform Zn nucleation, finally dendrite formation. Here, we report nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) as a highly efficient functional additive that can preferentially adsorbs on Zn surface, avoiding the direct contact between Zn and water molecules and significantly alleviating corrosion. This clean, protected Zn surface can thus promote uniform Zn plating/stripping. Furthermore, the adsorbed NTA molecules can attract water molecules to facilitate the desolvation of Zn and promote Zn fast transport, as verified both experimentally and computationally. Notably, we found that only a trace amount of NTA (0.15 wt%) is sufficient to form a stable electrode/electrolyte interface, reducing the corrosion rate from 3.63 mA cm to merely 0.22 mA cm. This stable interface enabled highly reversible Zn stripping/plating at 5 mA cm and 0.5 mAh cm in symmetric cells, lasting about 2100 h. An outstanding average Coulombic efficiency of 99.40 % in 800 cycles was also achieved. This study provides new insights into realizing highly reversible Zn anodes for RAZBs via the addition of highly efficient, multifunctional electrolyte additive, whose design principle may be generalized to many rechargeable battery systems.

aqueous Zn ion battery Density functional theory Electrolyte additive Nitrilotriacetic acid Zn anode

EI ; SCI

英语

第一 ; 通讯

20233914802271

Additives ; Anodes ; Corrosion rate ; Cost effectiveness ; Electrolytes ; Molecules ; Secondary batteries

Electric Batteries and Fuel Cells:702 ; Secondary Batteries:702.1.2 ; Electron Tubes:714.1 ; Chemical Agents and Basic Industrial Chemicals:803 ; Chemical Products Generally:804 ; Industrial Economics:911.2 ; Probability Theory:922.1 ; Atomic and Molecular Physics:931.3 ; Quantum Theory; Quantum Mechanics:931.4

2-s2.0-85172403099

Scopus

1.Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering,Southern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen,518055,China
2.SUSTech Energy Institute for Carbon Neutrality,Southern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen,518055,China
3.School of Chemistry,Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology,Nanyang Technological University,Singapore,637457,Singapore
4.Department of Materials Science and Engineering,College of Materials,Xiamen University,Xiamen,361005,China
5.Global Institute of Future Technology,Shanghai Jiaotong University,Shanghai,200240,China

Liang，Zhenye,Li，Chao,Zuo，Daxian,et al. Achieving stable Zn metal anode through novel interface design with multifunctional electrolyte additive[J]. Energy Storage Materials,2023,63.

Liang，Zhenye.,Li，Chao.,Zuo，Daxian.,Zeng，Lin.,Ling，Tong.,...&Wan，Jiayu.(2023).Achieving stable Zn metal anode through novel interface design with multifunctional electrolyte additive.Energy Storage Materials,63.

Liang，Zhenye,et al."Achieving stable Zn metal anode through novel interface design with multifunctional electrolyte additive".Energy Storage Materials 63(2023).