Mechanical reliable,NIR light-induced rapid self-healing hydrogel electrolyte towards flexible zinc-ion hybrid supercapacitors with low-temperature adaptability and long service life

Hydrogel electrolytes hold great potential in flexible zinc ion supercapacitors(ZICs)due to their high conductivity,good safety,and flexibility.However,freezing of electrolytes at low temperature(subzero)leads to drastic reduction in ionic conductivity and mechanical properties that deteriorates the performance of flexible ZICs.Besides,the mechanical fracture during arbitrary deformations significantly prunes out the lifespan of the flexible device.Herein,a Zn^(2+)and Li^(+)co-doped,polypyrrole-dopamine decorated Sb_(2)S_(3)incorporated,and polyvinyl alcohol/poly(N-(2-hydroxyethyl)acrylamide)double-network hydrogel electrolyte is constructed with favorable mechanical reliability,anti-freezing,and self-healing ability.In addition,it delivers ultra-high ionic conductivity of 8.6 and 3.7 S m^(-1)at 20 and−30°C,respectively,and displays excellent mechanical properties to withstand tensile stress of 1.85 MPa with tensile elongation of 760%,together with fracture energy of 5.14 MJ m^(-3).Notably,the fractured hydrogel electrolyte can recover itself after only 90 s of infrared illumination,while regaining 83%of its tensile strain and almost 100%of its ionic conductivity during−30–60°C.Moreover,ZICs coupled with this hydrogel electrolyte not only show a wide voltage window(up to 2 V),but also provide high energy density of 230 Wh kg^(-1)at power density of 500 W kg^(-1)with a capacity retention of 86.7%after 20,000 cycles under 20°C.Furthermore,the ZICs are able to retain excellent capacity even under various mechanical deformation at−30°C.This contribution will open up new insights into design of advanced wearable flexible electronics with environmental adaptability and long-life span.

High donor-number and low content electrolyte additive for stabilizing zinc metal anode

The aqueous zinc ion batteries(AZIBs)are thought as promising competitors for electrochemical energy storage,though their wide application is curbed by the uncontrollable dendrite growth and gas evolution side reactions.Herein,to stabilize both zinc anodes and water molecules,we developed a modified electrolyte by adding a trace amount of N,N-diethylformanmide(DEF)into the ZnSO_(4)electrolyte for the first time in zinc ion batteries.The effectiveness of DEF is predicted by the comparison of donor number and its preferential adsorption behavior on the zinc anode is further demonstrated by several spectroscopy characterizations,electrochemical methods,and molecular dynamics simulation.The modified electrolyte with 5%v.t.DEF content can ensure a stable cycling life longer than 3400 h of Zn‖Zn symmetric cells and an ultra-reversible Zn stripping/plating process with a high coulombic efficiency of 99.7%.The Zn‖VO_(2)full cell maintains a capacity retention of 83.5%and a 104 mA h g^(-1)mass capacity after 1000cycles.This work provides insights into the role of interfacial adsorption behavior and the donor number of additive molecules in designing low-content and effective aqueous electrolytes.

Solvation strategies in various electrolytes for advanced zinc metal anode

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries(AZIBs),known for their high safety,low cost,and environmental friendliness,have a wide range of potential applications in large-scale energy storage systems.However,the notorious dendrite growth and severe side reactions on the anode have significantly hindered their further practical development.Recent studies have shown that the solvation chemistry in the electrolyte is not only closely related to the barriers to the commercialization of AZIBs,but have also sparked a number of valuable ideas to address the challenges of AZIBs.Therefore,we systematically summarize and discuss the regulatory mechanisms of solvation chemistry in various types of electrolytes and the influence of the solvation environment on battery performance.The challenges and future directions for solvation strategies based on the electrolyte environment are proposed to improve their performance and expand their application in AZIBs.

An Electrochemical Perspective of Aqueous Zinc Metal Anode

Based on the attributes of nonflammability,environmental benignity,and cost-effectiveness of aqueous electrolytes,as well as the favorable compatibility of zinc metal with them,aqueous zinc ions batteries(AZIBs)become the leading energy storage candidate to meet the requirements of safety and low cost.Yet,aqueous electrolytes,acting as a double-edged sword,also play a negative role by directly or indirectly causing various parasitic reactions at the zinc anode side.These reactions include hydrogen evolution reaction,passivation,and dendrites,resulting in poor Coulombic efficiency and short lifespan of AZIBs.A comprehensive review of aqueous electrolytes chemistry,zinc chemistry,mechanism and chemistry of parasitic reactions,and their relationship is lacking.Moreover,the understanding of strategies for suppressing parasitic reactions from an electrochemical perspective is not profound enough.In this review,firstly,the chemistry of electrolytes,zinc anodes,and parasitic reactions and their relationship in AZIBs are deeply disclosed.Subsequently,the strategies for suppressing parasitic reactions from the perspective of enhancing the inherent thermodynamic stability of electrolytes and anodes,and lowering the dynamics of parasitic reactions at Zn/electrolyte interfaces are reviewed.Lastly,the perspectives on the future development direction of aqueous electrolytes,zinc anodes,and Zn/electrolyte interfaces are presented.

Poly(Acrylamide-Co-Acrylic Acid)-Zinc Acetate Polymer Electrolytes: Studies Based on Structural and Morphology and Electrical Spectroscopy

Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) of polyacrylamide-co-acrylic acid (PAA) as the polymer host and zinc acetate (ZnA) as an ionic dopant were prepared using a single solvent by the solution casting technique. The amorphous and crystalline structures of film were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The surface morphology of samples was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The composition and complex formation of films were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The conductivity of the PAA-ZnA films was determined by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. According to the XRD and FTIR analyses, all electrolyte films were in amorphous state and the existence of interaction between Zn2+ cations and the PAA structure confirms that the film was successfully prepared. The SEM observations reveal that the electrolyte films appeared to be rough and flat with irregularly shaped surfaces. The highest ionic conductivity (σ) of 1.82 × 10-5 Scm-1 was achieved at room temperature (303 K) for the sample containing 10 wt % ZnA.

Quasi‑Solid Electrolyte Interphase Boosting Charge and Mass Transfer for Dendrite‑Free Zinc Battery

The practical applications of zinc metal batteries are plagued by the dendritic propagation of its metal anodes due to the limited transfer rate of charge and mass at the electrode/electrolyte interphase.To enhance the reversibility of Zn metal,a quasi-solid interphase composed by defective metal-organic framework(MOF)nanoparticles(D-UiO-66)and two kinds of zinc salts electrolytes is fabricated on the Zn surface served as a zinc ions reservoir.Particularly,anions in the aqueous electrolytes could be spontaneously anchored onto the Lewis acidic sites in defective MOF channels.With the synergistic effect between the MOF channels and the anchored anions,Zn^(2+)transport is prompted significantly.Simultaneously,such quasi-solid interphase boost charge and mass transfer of Zn^(2+),leading to a high zinc transference number,good ionic conductivity,and high Zn^(2+)concentration near the anode,which mitigates Zn dendrite growth obviously.Encouragingly,unprecedented average coulombic efficiency of 99.8%is achieved in the Zn||Cu cell with the proposed quasi-solid interphase.The cycling performance of D-UiO-66@Zn||MnO_(2)(~92.9%capacity retention after 2000 cycles)and D-UiO-66@Zn||NH_(4)V_(4)O_(10)(~84.0%capacity retention after 800 cycles)prove the feasibility of the quasi-solid interphase.

Cell-nucleus structured electrolyte for low-temperature aqueous zinc batteries

Rechargeable aqueous zinc(Zn) batteries hold great promise for large-scale energy storage,but their implementation is plagued by poor Zn reversibility and unsatisfactory low-temperature performance.Herein,we design a cell-nucleus structured electrolyte by introducing low-polarity 1,2-dimethoxyethane(DME) into dilute 1 M zinc trifluoromethanesulfonate(Zn(OTf)_(2)) aqueous solution,which features an OTf--rich Zn2^(+)-primary solvation sheath(PSS,inner nucleus) and the DMEmodulated Zn^(2+)-outer solvation sheath(outer layer).We find that DME additives with a low dosage do not participate in the Zn2+-PSS but reinforce the Zn-OTf-coordination,which guarantees good reaction kinetics under ultralow temperatures.Moreover,DME breaks the original H-bonding network of H2O,depressing the freezing point of electrolyte to-52.4℃.Such a cell-nucleus-solvation structure suppresses the H_(2)O-induced side reactions and forms an anion-derived solid electrolyte interphase on Zn and can be readily extended to 1,2-diethoxyethane.The as-designed electrolyte enables the Zn electrode deep cycling stability over 3500 h with a high depth-of-discharge of 51.3% and endows the Zn‖V_(2)O_(5)full battery with stable cycling over 1000 cycles at 40℃.This work would inspire the solvation structure design for low-temperature aqueous batteries.

Toward stable and highly reversible zinc anodes for aqueous batteries via electrolyte engineering

Featuring low cost, high abundance, low electrochemical potential, and large specific capacity, zinc(Zn)metal holds great potential as an anode material for next-generation rechargeable aqueous batteries.However, the poor reversibility resulting from dendrite formation and side reactions poses a major obstacle for its practical application. Electrolyte, which is regarded as the “blood” of batteries, has a direct impact on reaction kinetics, mass transport, and side reactions and thus plays a key role in determining the electrochemical performance of Zn electrodes. Therefore, considerable efforts have been devoted to modulating the electrolytes to improve the performance of Zn electrodes. Although significant progress has been made, achieving stable and highly reversible Zn electrodes remains a critical challenge. This review aims to provide a systematic summary and discussion on electrolyte strategies for highperformance aqueous Zn batteries. The(electro)-chemical behavior and fundamental challenges of Zn electrodes in aqueous electrolytes are first discussed. Electrolyte modulation strategies developed to address these issues are then classified and elaborated according to the underlying mechanisms.Finally, remaining challenges and promising future research directions on aqueous electrolyte engineering are highlighted. This review offers insights into the design of highly efficient electrolytes for new generation of rechargeable Zn batteries.

Electrolyte Solvation Structure Design for High Voltage Zinc-Based Hybrid Batteries

Zinc(Zn)metal anodes have enticed substantial curiosity for large-scale energy storage owing to inherent safety,high specific and volumetric energy capacities of Zn metal anodes.However,the aqueous electrolyte traditionally employed in Zn batteries suffers severe decomposition due to the narrow voltage stability window.Herein,we introduce N-methylformamide(NMF)as an organic solvent and modulate the solvation structure to obtain a stable organic/aqueous hybrid electrolyte for high-voltage Zn batteries.NMF is not only extremely stable against Zn metal anodes but also reduces the free water molecule availability by creating numerous hydrogen bonds,thereby accommodating high-voltage Zn‖LiMn_(2)O_(4)batteries.The introduction of NMF prevented hydrogen evolution reaction and promoted the creation of an Frich solid electrolyte interphase,which in turn hampered dendrite growth on Zn anodes.The Zn‖LiMn_(2)O_(4)full cells delivered a high average Coulombic efficiency of 99.7%over 400 cycles.

EXPERT OPTIMIZED CONTROL TECHNIQUE FOR ELECTROLYTIC DEPOSITION PROCESS OF HYDROMETALLURGY OF ZINC

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Hetero Nucleus Growth Stabilizing Zinc Anode for High‑Biosecurity Zinc‑Ion Batteries

Biocompatible devices are widely employed in modernized lives and medical fields in the forms of wearable and implantable devices,raising higher requirements on the battery biocompatibility,high safety,low cost,and excellent electrochemical performance,which become the evaluation criteria toward developing feasible biocompatible batteries.Herein,through conducting the battery implantation tests and leakage scene simulations on New Zealand rabbits,zinc sulfate electrolyte is proved to exhibit higher biosecurity and turns out to be one of the ideal zinc salts for biocompatible zinc-ion batteries(ZIBs).Furthermore,in order to mitigate the notorious dendrite growth and hydrogen evolution in mildly acidic electrolyte as well as improve their operating stability,Sn hetero nucleus is introduced to stabilize the zinc anode,which not only facilitates the planar zinc deposition,but also contributes to higher hydrogen evolution overpotential.Finally,a long lifetime of 1500 h for the symmetrical cell,the specific capacity of 150 mAh g^(-1)under 0.5 A g^(-1)for the Zn-MnO_(2)battery and 212 mAh g^(-1)under 5 A g^(-1)for the Zn—NH4V4O10 battery are obtained.This work may provide unique perspectives on biocompatible ZIBs toward the biosecurity of their cell components.

Interface Engineering via Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x) MXene Electrolyte Additive toward Dendrite-Free Zinc Deposition

Zinc metal batteries have been considered as a promising candidate for next-generation batteries due to their high safety and low cost.However,their practical applications are severely hampered by the poor cyclability that caused by the undesired dendrite growth of metallic Zn.Herein,Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x) MXene was first used as electrolyte additive to facilitate the uniform Zn deposition by controlling the nucleation and growth process of Zn.Such MXene additives can not only be absorbed on Zn foil to induce uniform initial Zn deposition via providing abundant zincophilic-O groups and subsequently participate in the formation of robust solid-electrolyte interface film,but also accelerate ion transportation by reducing the Zn^(2+) concentration gradient at the electrode/electrolyte interface.Consequently,MXene-containing electrolyte realizes dendrite-free Zn plating/striping with high Coulombic efficiency(99.7%)and superior reversibility(stably up to 1180 cycles).When applied in full cell,the Zn-V_(2)O_(5)cell also delivers significantly improved cycling performances.This work provides a facile yet effective method for developing reversible zinc metal batteries.

Recent Progress and Prospects on Dendrite-free Engineerings for Aqueous Zinc Metal Anodes

Rechargeable zinc-ion batteries with mild aqueous electrolytes are one of the most promising systems for large-scale energy storage as a result of their inherent safety,low cost,environmental-friendliness,and acceptable energy density.However,zinc metal anodes always suffer from unwanted dendrite growth,leading to low Coulombic efficiency and poor cycle stability and during the repeated plating/stripping processes,which substantially restrict their further development and application.To solve these critical issues,a lot of research works have been dedicated to overcoming the drawbacks associated with zinc metal anodes.In this overview,the working mechanisms and existing issues of the zinc metal anodes are first briefly outlined.Moreover,we look into the ongoing processes of the different strategies for achieving highly stable and dendrite-free zinc metal anodes,including crystal engineering,structural engineering,coating engineering,electrolyte engineering,and separator engineering.Finally,some challenges being faced and prospects in this field are provided,together with guiding significant research directions in the future.

Flexible Zinc-Manganese Dioxide Alkaline Batteries Based on Kelp Electrolytes

Flexible energy-storage devices play a critical role in the development of portable, flexible and wearable electronics. In addition, biological materials including plants or plant-based materials are known for their safety, biodegradability, biocompatibility, environmental benignancy, and low cost. With respect to these advances, a flexible alkaline zinc-manganese dioxide (Zn-MnO2) battery is fabricated with a kelp-based electrolyte in this study. To the best of our knowledge, pure kelp is utilized as a semi-solid electrolyte for flexible Zn-MnO2 alkaline batteries for the first time, with which the as-assembled battery exhibited a specific capacity of 60 mA·h and could discharge for 120 h. Furthermore, the as-assembled Zn-MnO2 battery can be bent into a ring-shape and power a light-emitting diode screen, showing promising potential for the practical application in the future flexible, portable and biodegradable electronic devices.

Boosting the zinc storage performance of vanadium dioxide by integrated morphology engineering and carbon nanotube conductive networks

Vanadium dioxide(VO_(2))with the advantages of high theoretical capacity and tunnel structure has attracted considerable promising candidates for aqueous zinc-ion batteries.Nevertheless,the intrinsic low electronic conductivity of VO_(2)results in an unsatisfactory electrochemical performance.Herein,a flower-like VO_(2)/carbon nanotubes(CNTs)composite was obtained by a facile hydrothermal method.The unique flower-like morphology shortens the ion transport length and facilitates electrolyte infiltration.Meanwhile,the CNT conductive networks is in favor of fast electron transfer.A highly reversible zinc storage mechanism was revealed by ex-situ X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.As a result,the VO_(2)/CNTs cathode exhibits a high reversible capacity(410 mAh·g^(−1)),superior rate performance(305 mAh·g^(−1)at 5 A·g^(−1)),and excellent cycling stability(a reversible capacity of 221 mAh·g^(−1)was maintained even after 2000 cycles).This work provides a guide for the design of high-performance cathode materials for aqueous zinc metal batteries.

Study on Removing Zinc from Nickel Electrolyte by Ion-exchange

In the process of nickel production by diaphragm electrolysis, the quality of the product has been tremendously affec ted by the content of zinc in the nickel electrolyte. Removing zinc from nickel electrolyte by ion exchange is studied in the paper. Resin D201 is selected as the resin for zinc removing. Effects of the operative parameters, such as temperature, pH value and the contact time on zinc adsorption are observed and the desorption feature of the zinc loaded resin is inspected. The results show that macroporous anion exchange resin D201 has excellent adsorption and desorption properties. Its breakthrough capacity and saturation capacity in zinc adsorption reach 0.81 g/L of zinc and 1.16 g/L of zinc respectively, when the operative temperature is 60 ℃ and the contact time is only 5 min. In addition, compared with gel type IER 201×7 used industrially nowadays, this resin has better wearability and greater intensity.

Polyaniline anode for zinc electrowinning from sulfate electrolytes

Polyaniline(Pani)anode is tested to highlight the feasibility of reduction of both energy consumption and capital costs in zinc electrowinning from sulfate solution without any modification to the existing plant.Current density,electrolyte temperature, added gelatin,added Mn 2+ ,oxygen-evolution potential,cell potential and long duration tests were investigated.The zinc deposits were also studied by means of scanning electron microscope(SEM)and X-ray diffraction(XRD).The results show that current density and added gelatin change the preferred crystal orientations of the zinc deposits.Compared with Pb-Ag(1%)anode used in industry,the cell voltage decreases by 0.15-0.30 V,energy consumption of Zn is 2.46-2.70 kW·h/kg which results in 20%energy savings.Long duration tests show that Pani anode can represent a good alterative ability for zinc electrowinning.Zinc deposits obtained have no Pb pollution.The additions of Mn2 +ions and gelatin also change the surface morphology and deposit quality of the electrodeposited zinc,affecting the crystal orientation.These researches demonstrate that Pani anode has distinct advantages over acidic electrowinning process.

Structural,Morphological and Electrical Properties of In-Doped Zinc Oxide Nanostructure Thin Films Grown on p-Type Gallium Nitride by Simultaneous Radio-Frequency Direct-Current Magnetron Co-Sputtering

Zinc oxide （ZnO） is one of the most promising and frequently used semiconductor materials. In-doped nanos- tructure ZnO thin films are grown on p-type gallium nitride substrates by employing the simultaneous rf and dc magnetron co-sputtering technique. The effect of In-doping on structural, morphological and electrical properties is studied. The different dopant concentrations are accomplished by varying the direct current power of the In target while keeping the fixed radio frequency power of the ZnO target through the co-sputtering deposition technique by using argon as the sputtering gas at ambient temperature. The structural analysis confirms that all the grown thin films preferentially orientate along the c-axis with the wurtzite hexagonal crystal structure without having any kind of In oxide phases. The presenting Zn, 0 and In elements＇ chemical compositions are identified with EDX mapping analysis of the deposited thin films and the calculated M ratio has been found to decrease with the increasing In power. The surface topographies of the grown thin films are examined with the atomic force microscope technique. The obtained results reveal that the grown film roughness increases with the In power. The Hall measurements ascertain that all the grown films have n-type conductivity and also the other electrical parameters such as resistivity,mobility and carrier concentration are analyzed.

Recent Progress on Zinc-Ion Rechargeable Batteries

The increasing demands for environmentally friendly grid-scale electric energy storage devices with high energy density and low cost have stimulated the rapid development of various energy storage systems,due to the environmental pollution and energy crisis caused by traditional energy storage technologies.As one of the new and most promising alternative energy storage technologies,zinc-ion rechargeable batteries have recently received much attention owing to their high abundance of zinc in natural resources,intrinsic safety,and cost effectiveness,when compared with the popular,but unsafe and expensive lithium-ion batteries.In particular,the use of mild aqueous electrolytes in zinc-ion batteries(ZIBs)demonstrates high potential for portable electronic applications and large-scale energy storage systems.Moreover,the development of superior electrolyte operating at either high temperature or subzero condition is crucial for practical applications of ZIBs in harsh environments,such as aerospace,airplanes,or submarines.However,there are still many existing challenges that need to be resolved.This paper presents a timely review on recent progresses and challenges in various cathode materials and electrolytes(aqueous,organic,and solid-state electrolytes)in ZIBs.Design and synthesis of zinc-based anode materials and separators are also briefly discussed.