Stabilizing Interface pH by Mixing Electrolytes for High-Performance Aqueous Zn Metal Batteries

Abstract

Aqueous zinc metal batteries with mild acidic electrolytes are considered promising candidates for large-scale energy storage. However, the Zn anode suffers from severe Zn dendrite growth and side reactions due to the unstable interfacial pH and the absence of a solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) protective layer. Herein, a novel and simple mixed electrolyte strategy is proposed to address these problems. The mixed electrolytes of 2 M ZnSO₄ and 2 M Zn (CF₃ SO₃ )₂ can efficiently buffer the interfacial pH and induce the in situ formation of the organic-inorganic SEI layer, which eliminates dendrite growth and prevents side reactions. As a result, Zn anodes in mixed electrolyte exhibit a lifespan enhancement over 400 times, endure stable cycling over 270 h at a high DOD of 62% and achieve high Zn plating/stripping reversibility with an average CE of 99.5% for 1000 cycles at 1 mA cm^-2 . The findings pave the way for developing practical electrolyte systems for Zn batteries.

Keywords: Zn anodes; Zn batteries; electrolytes mixtures; interface pH; solid electrolyte interphases.