Hao Baojiu, Zhou Jinqiu, Yang Hao, Zhu Changhao, Wang Zhenkang, Liu Jie, Yan Chenglin, Qian Tao
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nantong University, Nantong, China.
School of Petrochemical Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou, China.
Nat Commun. 2024 Nov 1;15(1):9465. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-53885-z.
The breakthrough in electrolyte technology stands as a pivotal factor driving the battery revolution forward. The colloidal electrolytes, as one of the emerging electrolytes, will arise gushing research interest due to their complex colloidal behaviors and mechanistic actions at different conditions (aqueous/nonaqueous solvents, salt concentrations etc.). Herein, we show "beyond aqueous" colloidal electrolytes with ultralow salt concentration and inherent low freezing points to investigate its underlying mechanistic principles to stabilize cryogenic Zn metal batteries. Impressively, the "seemingly undesired" concentration polarization at the interface would disrupt the coalescence stability of the electrolyte, leading to a mechanically rigid interphase of colloidal particle-rich layer, positively inhibiting side reactions on either side of the electrodes. Importantly, the multi-layered pouch cells with cathode loading of 10 mg cm exhibit undecayed capacity at various temperatures, and a relatively high capacity of 50 mAh g could be well maintained at -80 °C.
电解质技术的突破是推动电池革命向前发展的关键因素。胶体电解质作为新兴电解质之一，因其在不同条件（水性/非水性溶剂、盐浓度等）下复杂的胶体行为和作用机制，将引发大量的研究兴趣。在此，我们展示了具有超低盐浓度和固有低冰点的“非水性”胶体电解质，以研究其稳定低温锌金属电池的潜在作用原理。令人印象深刻的是，界面处“看似不理想”的浓度极化会破坏电解质的聚结稳定性，导致富含胶体颗粒层的机械刚性界面，积极抑制电极两侧的副反应。重要的是，阴极负载为10 mg cm的多层软包电池在各种温度下都具有未衰减的容量，并且在-80°C时可以很好地保持相对较高的50 mAh g的容量。
