Abstract
Aqueous zinc batteries (AZBs) have emerged as an alternative of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their potential for high energy density, safety, and cost-effectiveness. However, the long-term stability of zinc metal anode has been hindered by hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), dendrite growth, and byproduct formation (Zn4(OH)6SO4·xH2O, zinc basic sulfate). To stabilize the zinc metal anode, various strategies such as surface coating and electrolyte design have been studied. In particular, electrolyte additives are regarded as practical strategies owing to low cost and simple methods.To improve the stability of zinc metal anode, organic additive was introduced. During the plating/stripping process, the enormous dendrites were observed in blank electrolyte via side-view operando X-ray imaging. Furthermore, a number of H2 bubbles were generated at the electrode surface. On the contrary, when the organic additive was added into electrolyte, the smooth surface with homogeneous deposition was confirmed and the formation of hydrogen gas was rarely observed. In addition, the uniform Zn deposition with organic additive was also verified through top-view operando optical imaging, whereas the black spots were formed on the surface without the additive, which represent the Zn dendrite formation. Based on the superior stability, the Zn||Cu half-cell with the organic additive maintained the steady voltage profile over 1600 h at 1 mA cm-2, while the short circuit occurred after 100 h without the additive. Figure 1
Published Version
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