Li Chenzhaosha, Gou Qianzhi, Tang Rui, Deng Jiangbin, Wang Kaixin, Luo Haoran, Cui Junyi, Geng Yang, Xiao Juanxiu, Zheng Yujie, Li Meng
MOE Key Laboratory of Low-Grade Energy Utilization Technologies and Systems, CQU-NUS Renewable Energy Materials and Devices Joint Laboratory, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China.
Sichuan University-Pittsburgh Institute (SCUPI), Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610207, China.
J Phys Chem Lett. 2023 Oct 19;14(41):9150-9158. doi: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c02327. Epub 2023 Oct 5.
Aqueous zinc-ion batteries are considered promising energy storage devices due to their superior electrochemical performance. Nevertheless, the uncontrolled dendrites and parasitic side reactions adversely affect the stability and durability of the Zn anode. To cope with these issues, inspired by the chelation behavior between metal ions and amino acids in the biological system, glutamic acid and aspartic acid are selected as electrolyte additives to stabilize the Zn anode. Experimental characterizations in conjunction with theoretical calculation results indicate that these additives can simultaneously modify the solvation structure of hydrated Zn and preferentially adsorb onto the Zn anode, thereby restricting the occurrence of interfacial side reactions and enhancing the performance of the Zn anode. Benefiting from these synergistic effects, the as-assembled Zn-based batteries containing additive electrolytes achieved admirable electrochemical performance. From the viewpoint of electrolyte regulation, this work provides a bright direction toward the development of aqueous batteries.
水系锌离子电池因其卓越的电化学性能而被视为有前景的储能装置。然而，不受控制的枝晶和寄生副反应会对锌负极的稳定性和耐久性产生不利影响。为应对这些问题，受生物体系中金属离子与氨基酸之间螯合行为的启发，选择谷氨酸和天冬氨酸作为电解质添加剂来稳定锌负极。结合理论计算结果的实验表征表明，这些添加剂能够同时改变水合锌的溶剂化结构，并优先吸附到锌负极上，从而抑制界面副反应的发生并提升锌负极的性能。受益于这些协同效应，含添加剂电解质的组装锌基电池展现出令人满意的电化学性能。从电解质调控的角度来看，这项工作为水系电池的发展提供了一个光明的方向。
