Multifunctional electrolyte additive of a natural sweetener for promoting uniform Zn plating in a high-performance aqueous Zn ion batteries

Abstract

Xylitol as a natural sweetener is introduced as an additive to the ZnSO4 electrolyte. The xylitol with massive hydroxyl groups can bind Zn ions and achieve preferential adsorption on Zn surface, effectively avoiding the Zn accumulation, relieving free water attack and inducing uniform Zn deposition, so as to inhibit the dendrite formation and interface corrosion. Batteries using the electrolyte with xylitol can deliver an ultra-long stable lifespan over 800 h at 10 mA cm−2 and achieve an ultra-high average Coulombic efficiency of 99.77 % for 800 cycles at 5 mA cm−2.