Sieving-type Electric Double Layer with Hydrogen Bond Interlocking to Stable Zinc Metal Anode.

The stability of aqueous zinc metal batteries is significantly affected by side reactions and dendrite growth on the anode interface, which primarily originate from water and anions. Herein, we introduce a multi H-bond site additive, 2, 2'-Sulfonyldiethanol (SDE), into an aqueous electrolyte to construct a sieving-type electric double layer (EDL) by hydrogen bond interlock in order to address these issues. On the one hand, SDE replaces H2O and SO42- anions that are adsorbed on the zinc anode surface, expelling H2O/SO42- from the EDL and thereby reducing the content of H2O/SO42- at the interface. On the other hand, when Zn2+ are de-solvated at the interface during the plating, the strong hydrogen bond interaction between SDE and H2O/SO42- can trap H2O/SO42- from the EDL, further decreasing their content at the interface. This effectively sieves them out of the zinc anode interface and inhibits the side reactions. Moreover, the unique characteristics of trapped SO42- anions can restrict their diffusion, thereby enhancing the transference number of Zn2+ and promoting dendrite-free deposition and growth of Zn. Consequently, utilizing an SDE/ZnSO4 electrolyte enables excellent cycling stability in Zn//Zn symmetrical cells and Zn//MnO2 full cells with lifespans exceeding 3500 h and 2500 cycles respectively.

Constructing a Topologically Adaptable Solid Electrolyte Interphase for a Highly Reversible Zinc Anode.

The performance of aqueous zinc metal batteries is significantly compromised by the stability of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), which is intimately linked to the structure of the electrical double layer (EDL) between the zinc anode and electrolyte. Furthermore, understanding the mechanical behavior of SEI is crucial, as it governs its response to stress induced by volume changes, fracture, or deformation. In this study, we introduce l-glutamine (Gln) as an additive to regulate the adsorbed environment of the EDL and in situ produce a hybrid SEI consisting of ZnS and Gln-related species. The results of the nanoindentation test indicate that the hybrid SEI exhibits a low modulus and low hardness, alongside exceptional shape recovery capability, which effectively limits side reactions and enables topological adaptation to volume fluctuations in zinc anodes during zinc ion plating/stripping, thereby enabling Zn//Zn symmetric cells to exhibit an ultralong cycle life of 4000 h in coin cells and a high cumulative capacity of 18,000 mA h in pouch cells. More importantly, the superiority of the formulated strategy is further demonstrated in Zn//NH4V4O10 full cells at different N/P ratios of 5.2, 4.9, 3.5, and 2.4. This provides a promising approach for future interfacial modulation in aqueous battery chemistry.

Salt Anion Amphiphilicity-Activated Electrolyte Cosolvent Selection Strategy toward Durable Zn Metal Anode.

One effective solution to inhibit side reactions and Zn dendrite growth in aqueous Zn-ion batteries is to add a cosolvent into the Zn(CF3SO3)2 electrolyte, which has the potential to form a robust solid electrolyte interface composed of ZnF2 and ZnS. Nevertheless, there is still a lack of discussion on a convenient selection method for cosolvents, which can directly reflect the interactions between solvent and solute to rationally design the electrolyte solvation structure. Herein, logP, where P is the octanol-water partition coefficient, a general parameter to describe the hydrophilicity and lipophilicity of chemicals, is proposed as a standard for selecting cosolvents for Zn(CF3SO3)2 electrolyte, which is demonstrated by testing seven different types of solvents. The solvent with a logP value similar to that of the salt anion CF3SO3- can interact with CF3SO3-, Zn2+, and H2O, leading to a reconstruction of the electrolyte solvation structure. To prove the concept, methyl acetate (MA) is demonstrated as an example due to its similar logP value to that of CF3SO3-. Both the experimental and theoretical results illustrate that MA molecules not only enter into the solvation shell of CF3SO3- but also coordinate with Zn2+ or H2O, forming an MA and CF3SO3- involved core-shell solvation structure. The special solvation structure reduces H2O activity and contributes to forming an anion-induced ZnCO3-ZnF2-rich solid electrolyte interface. As a result, the Zn||Zn cell and Zn||NaV3O8·1.5H2O cell with MA-involved electrolyte exhibit superior performances to that with the MA-free electrolyte. This work provides an insight into electrolyte design via salt anion chemistry for high-performance Zn batteries.

Tuning the Kinetics of Zinc-Ion Insertion/Extraction in V2 O5 by In Situ Polyaniline Intercalation Enables Improved Aqueous Zinc-Ion Storage Performance.

Rechargeable zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) are emerging as a promising alternative for Li-ion batteries. However, the developed cathodes suffer from sluggish Zn2+ diffusion kinetics, leading to poor rate capability and inadequate cycle life. Herein, an in situ polyaniline (PANI) intercalation strategy is developed to facilitate the Zn2+ (de)intercalation kinetics in V2 O5 . In this way, a remarkably enlarged interlayer distance (13.90 Å) can be constructed alternatively between the VO layers, offering expediting channels for facile Zn2+ diffusion. Importantly, the electrostatic interactions between the Zn2+ and the host O2- , which is another key factor in hindering the Zn2+ diffusion kinetics, can be effectively blocked by the unique π-conjugated structure of PANI. As a result, the PANI-intercalated V2 O5 exhibits a stable and highly reversible electrochemical reaction during repetitive Zn2+ insertion and extraction, as demonstrated by in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction and Raman studies. Further first-principles calculations clearly reveal a remarkably lowered binding energy between Zn2+ and host O2- , which explains the favorable kinetics in PANI-intercalated V2 O5 . Benefitting from the above, the overall electrochemical performance of PANI-intercalated V2 O5 electrode is remarkable improved, exhibiting excellent high rate capability of 197.1 mAh g-1 at current density of 20 A g-1 with capacity retention of 97.6% over 2000 cycles.

Influence of Mesona blumes polysaccharide on the gel properties and microstructure of acid-induced soy protein isolate gels.

The effect of Mesona blumes polysaccharide (MBP) on the microstructure and gel properties of glucono-delta-lactone-induced soy protein isolate (SPI) gels was evaluated by texture, water holding capacity, rheology, and microstructure analysis. The results showed that the apparent viscosities and storage modulus (G') of the SPI-MBP gels were increased as the MBP concentration increased. The addition of MBP promoted the water holding capacity (WHC) and gel strength of SPI-MBP gels. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that, in the presence of MBP, the surface of mixed gels became smooth and the structure became dense. Additionally, the zeta potential and interactions results indicated that electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions played an important role in maintaining the three-dimensional structure of SPI-MBP gels. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that MBP is desirable for SPI-MBP gels as a gelling agent.