Ultra-long-life and highly reversible Zn metal anodes enabled by a desolvation and deanionization interface layer. Issue 5 (6th April 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhang, Xiaotan; Li, Jiangxu; Liu, Dongyan; Liu, Mengke; Zhou, Tiansheng; Qi, Kaiwen; Shi, Lei; Zhu, Yongchun; Qian, Yitai
• Is Part Of: Energy & environmental science. Volume 14:Issue 5(2021)
• Page Start: 3120
• Page End: 3129
• Publication Date: 2021-04-06
• Subjects: Energy conversion -- Periodicals; Fuel switching -- Periodicals; Environmental sciences -- Periodicals; Environmental chemistry -- Periodicals; 333.79
• DOI: 10.1039/d0ee03898a
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1754-5692

Abstract

Abstract : A bifunctional CNG membrane was constructed to achieve dendrite-free and corrosion-free Zn anodes by desolvation and deanionization effects. CNG/Zn anodes could have an ultra-long lifespan of ∼5500 h and a high CE (99.4%). Abstract : The zinc metal anode in aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) is considerably impeded by uncontrollable dendrite growth and intricately water-induced corrosion, leading to low Coulombic efficiency (CE) and limited lifespan. Herein, a bifunctional cellulose nanowhisker-graphene (CNG) membrane was constructed to mitigate these problems. Experimental analysis and molecular dynamics simulation reveal that the CNG membrane, functioning as a desolvation layer to preclude H2 O molecules encountering the Zn anode, retards the water-induced corrosion reaction. This CNG layer with negative surface charges can simultaneously generate a deanionization shock by spreading cations but screening anions to obtain redirected Zn deposition parallel to the (0002)Zn plane. Furthermore, the flexible and toughened CNG membrane could withstand a strong tensile force (8.54 N) and a great puncture force (0.10 N) to favorably accommodate the Zn anode surface fluctuation during plating/stripping. Accordingly, CNG/Zn anode delivers an enhanced CE (99.4%) and a longer cycle life (∼5500 h), over 27 times that of a bare Zn anode. A full MnO2 /graphene-CNG/Zn battery exhibits a high discharge capacity (307 mA h g −1 ) and maintains a high capacity retention of 87.8% at 5C after 5000 cycles.