Abstract

AbstractSeparators swelling in aqueous electrolytes can cause inhomogeneous ion flux and unregulated dendrite propagation, yet the corresponding phenomenon and mitigation strategy are rarely studied. This article deals with the issue of pore structure variation caused by separator swelling in aqueous zinc‐ion batteries (AZBs) by employing nanocellulose separator as a representative example. A multifunctional separator composed of Zr4+‐hydrolysate‐coated nanocellulose (Zr‐CNF) is developed by in situ hydrolysis of Zr4+, which demonstrates excellent swelling resistance, pore‐structure stability, and percolating porosity due to cross‐linking and hydrogen bond shielding effect. Consequently, the homogeneous Zn‐ion flux, high ionic conductivity, and Zn2+ transfer number are maintained upon cycling. Moreover, the amorphous ZrO containing coating induces a homogeneous directional electric field around the interface, accelerating the Zn2+ influx, reducing the nucleation overpotential, and promoting homogeneous nucleation for Zn deposition. The Zr‐CNF separator enable dendrite‐free Zn anode with high Coulombic efficiency (99.7%) and exceptional cyclability for 680 h under 5 mA cm−2/5 mAh cm−2. The feasibility of the Zr‐CNF separator is verified in PANI/V2O5‐based AZBs and activated carbon‐based Zn‐ion capacitors. This study provides a facile approach to address separator swelling issue, enlightening novel insights into the efficient and sustainable aqueous battery technologies in the future.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.