Enhancing Zinc Anode Reversibility through Dynamic Interface Engineering with Monolayer Hydrophobic Carbon Dots.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries promise low-cost and safe grid storage, but their practical application is hindered by poor Zn anode reversibility, primarily due to dendrite formation and water-induced side reactions in the electric double layer (EDL) structure. Herein, a monolayer of hydrophobic carbon dots (CDs) was dynamically constructed at the electrode/electrolyte interface. The trace-added hydrophobic CDs in the electrolyte reconstruct a hydrophobic and favorable EDL structure, suppressing water-induced side reactions in the inner Helmholtz layer and facilitating the desolvation of hydrated zinc ions at the outer Helmholtz layer.

Highly 002-Oriented Dendrite-Free Anode Achieved by Enhanced Interfacial Electrostatic Adsorption for Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries.

Rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) are gaining recognition as promising next-generation energy storage solution, due to their intrinsic safety and low cost. Nevertheless, the advancement of AZIBs is greatly limited by the abnormal growth of zinc dendrites during cycling. Electrolyte additives are effective at suppressing zinc dendrites, but there is currently no effective additive screening criterion.

Advancements in Achieving High Reversibility of Zinc Anode for Alkaline Zinc-Based Batteries.

Rechargeable alkaline zinc-based batteries (ZBBs) have attracted extensive research attention due to their advantages of low cost, high specific energy, and high safety. Although the investigation of cathodes for alkaline secondary ZBBs has reached a relatively advanced stage, the exploration of zinc anodes is still in its infancy. Zinc anodes in alkaline electrolytes encounter challenges such as dendrite formation, passivation, corrosion during periods of cell inactivity, and hydrogen evolution during cycling, thereby limiting their rechargeability and storability.

Enhancing Energy Conversion Efficiency and Durability of Alkaline Nickel-Zinc Batteries with Air-Breathing Cathode.

Despite their high output voltage and safety advantages, rechargeable alkaline nickel-zinc batteries face significant challenges associated with the cathodic side reaction of oxygen evolution, which results in low energy efficiency (EE) and poor stability. Herein, we propose to leverage the side oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in nickel-zinc batteries by coupling electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reactions (ORR) in the cathode, thus constructing an air breathing cathode. Such a novel battery (Ni-ZnAB), designed in a pouch-type cell with a lean electrolyte, exhibits an outstanding EE of 85 % and a long cycle life of 100 cycles at 2 mA cm , which are significantly superior to those of traditional Ni-Zn batteries (54 %, 50 cycles).

Hewettite ZnV O ⋅ 8H O with Remarkably Stable Layers and Ultralarge Interlayer Spacing for High-Performance Aqueous Zn-Ion Batteries.

Aqueous Zn-ion batteries (ZIBs) are promising candidates for grid-scale energy storage because of their intrinsic safety, low-cost and high energy-intensity. Vanadium-based materials are widely used as the cathode of ZIBs, especially A V O  ⋅ nH O (AVO, A=NH , Na, K). However, AVO suffers from serious dissolution, phase transformation and narrow gallery spacing (∼3 Å), leading to poor cycling stability and rate capability.