Porous Zinc Research Articles

Incorporating etched ZnO nanoparticles to fabricate positively charged composite membrane for heavy metal removal

The removal of heavy metal ions by nanofiltration (NF) membranes is attractive, but it is limited by a trade-off effect between permeation and solute rejection. Generally, the permeability of the NF membrane is closely related to its hydrophilicity, while the solute rejection is closely related to size exclusion and the Donnan effect. In this study, porous etched zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were prepared through alkali etching, and a thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) NF membrane was fabricated by interfacial polymerization (IP) method between PEI and TMC on a polysulfone (PSF) substrate. The incorporation of 0.01 wt% etched ZnO nanoparticles increased the hydrophilicity and positive charge of the NF membrane, resulting in an increase in the permeability (from 6.0 L m−2 h−1 bar−1 to 8.1 L m−2 h−1 bar−1) and rejection of heavy metal ions (Cu2+, Zn2+, and Ni2+ increased from 85 % to over 96 %). Long-term filtration experiments using the simulated wastewater demonstrated that the prepared NF membrane exhibited good stability and had the potential for industrial applications. It opens a new pathway for studying TFN NF membranes, indicating that alkaline etching can transform smooth nanoparticles into nanoparticles with higher specific surface area and porosity, thereby improving the performance of membranes.

3D network of zinc powder woven into fibre filaments for dendrite-free zinc battery anodes

Zinc foil metal anodes in aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs) are impaired by uncontrollable dendrite growth, resulting in low Coulombic efficiency (CE) and limited lifetime. The tunability of zinc powder provides a perfect alternative for anodes. But their rough spherical surfaces possibly make them more susceptible to corrosion and dendrite growth. We hereby utilise electrostatic spinning to weave zinc powder into polyacrylonitrile/ Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF/PAN) fiber filament to produce a new three-dimensional porous zinc anode (PF@Zn). Stable and flexible structure of the constructed fiber filament framework avoids direct contact of the aqueous electrolyte with the collector while relieving the stresses generated by dendrite growth. Moreover, when galvanizing or stripping, the zinc powder woven into the fiber network efficiently homogenizes the Zn2+ ion flux for a stable zinc cycle. Accordingly, the PF@Zn anode battery has a superior cycle life (240 h) and an increased Coulombic efficiency (99.1 %). An assembled C//PF@Zn capacitor has an impressive 96.6 % capacity retention after 3000 cycles. The study offers a scalable approach to modifying metal powder electrodes and transforming them into high-performance batteries.

Full-thickness osteochondral defect repair using a biodegradable bilayered scaffold of porous zinc and chondroitin sulfate hydrogel

The regeneration of osteochondral tissue necessitates the re-establishment of a gradient owing to the unique characteristics and healing potential of the chondral and osseous phases. As the self-healing capacity of hyaline cartilage is limited, timely mechanical support during neo-cartilage formation is crucial to achieving optimal repair efficacy. In this study, we devised a biodegradable bilayered scaffold, comprising chondroitin sulfate (CS) hydrogel to regenerate chondral tissue and a porous pure zinc (Zn) scaffold for regeneration of the underlying bone as mechanical support for the cartilage layer. The photocured CS hydrogel possessed a compressive strength of 82 kPa, while the porous pure Zn scaffold exhibited a yield strength of 11 MPa and a stiffness of 0.8 GPa. Such mechanical properties are similar to values reported for cancellous bone. In vitro biological experiments demonstrated that the bilayered scaffold displayed favorable cytocompatibility and promoted chondrogenic and osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow stem cells. Upon implantation, the scaffold facilitated the simultaneous regeneration of bone and cartilage tissue in a porcine model, resulting in (i) a smoother cartilage surface, (ii) more hyaline-like cartilage, and (iii) a superior integration into the adjacent host tissue. Our bilayered scaffold exhibits significant potential for clinical application in osteochondral regeneration.

Development of an innovative ethanol sensing sensor platform based on the construction of Au modified 3D porous ZnO hollow microspheres

The practical production of gas sensor devices poses a significant challenge in terms of designing electronic devices that possess the advantages of a simplistic structure and can be easily and conveniently manufactured through batch processing. Hence, a simple architecture is important in creating new type of gas sensor that could realize experimental purposes in real-life situations. Porous zinc oxide hollow microspheres (ZnO HMS) sensing materials were successfully synthesized via hydrothermal process. The detection of ultra-low gas concentrations, such as 100 ppb ethanol, was achieved using a novel ZnO HMS modified with Au. The ethanol sensing perform of the 1.0 wt%Au-ZnO is 7.7 times and 1.7 times higher than that of the ZnO HMS and 0.5 wt%Au-ZnO. Furthermore, even at a low concentration of 100 ppb, a good sensing response of 1.476 is acquired. Also, we found the low theoretical detection limitation of the 1.0 wt%Au-ZnO was 25.1 ppb.

Simultaneous synthesis of nanoporous zinc oxide and carbon dots via biopolymer dual templating

Dual templating is an effective strategy to create multiple inorganic functional materials with enhanced structural, optical, and biological properties. We demonstrate how biopolymer directly dictates the internal structure of zinc oxide. Here, a thermally degradable biopolymer, chitosan, is used as a structural template to produce internal nano pores of zinc oxide, while biopolymer transforms into highly luminescent carbon dots in the same solution. It is thought that zinc oxide is nucleated within the polymer network and continues to grow by engulfing the network into its crystalline structure. This is followed by thermal degradation of polymer template and its carbonisation into carbon dots. The synthesised porous zinc oxide-chitosan composites are characterised by PXRD, FT-IR, TGA, and SEM. The shape and size of pores created within zinc oxide crystals are assessed by FIB-SEM analysis. Finally, the antioxidant activity of the synthesised composites is significantly enhanced even at low concentrations from 20% in pure zinc-oxide to 100% in the synthesised composites.

Electrocatalytic and photocatalytic activities of hierarchically structured zinc oxide nanoparticles derived from cellulose paper-precipitated hydrozincite

This study presents a novel method for synthesizing hierarchical porous zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures by thermally decomposing green-synthesized hydrozincite. The hydrozincite was prepared at room temperature using zinc acetate dihydrate and calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in cellulose printing papers as the precipitating agent. The resulting ZnO particles exhibit a distinctive flower-like morphology, consisting of porous nanosheets composed of interconnected nanoparticles. The average crystallite size of the hierarchically structured zinc oxide nanoparticles, as determined via X-ray diffraction Rietveld refinement method, was found to be 18.8 nm when calcined at 500 °C. However, with increasing calcination temperature to 600, 700, and 800 °C, the average crystallite size also increased to 24.3, 30.4, and 47.2 nm, respectively. The ZnO synthesized at temperatures of 500 °C, 600 °C, and 700 °C exhibits higher electrocatalytic activity toward the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) compared to both the ZnO synthesized at 800 °C and commercial ZnO. This enhanced performance can be primarily attributed to the nanosized ZnO particles, which provide a substantial surface area, high accessibility of active sites, and fast charge transfer kinetics. In terms of photocatalytic activity, all the samples show HER improvement under the UV light irradiation, attributed to the generation of photoexcited charge carriers. The ZnO synthesized at 800 °C and the commercial ZnO exhibit greater enhancements in photocatalytic activity compared to the other samples. This implies that larger solid particles with fewer nanopores result in a greater exposed surface area for UV-light absorption. The hierarchically structured ZnO nanoparticles demonstrate promising electrocatalytic and photocatalytic activities, as well as stability, opening up potential applications in various fields, including energy conversion and environmental remediation.

Piglet growth performance improved by dietary supplementation of porous or nano particles of zinc oxide may be related to the gut microbiota

Previous studies on porous or nano particles zinc oxide (ZnO) in the piglets have mainly focused on growth performance and intestinal inflammation, but have scarcely explored the efficacy on gut microbiota. In addition, the efficacy of nano particles ZnO, which is related to its product quality, remains undefined. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of dietary 500 mg/kg porous or nano particles ZnO on the growth performance and gut microbiota of the weaned piglets. A total of 128 weaned piglets were randomly assigned to the dietary groups: NC (basal diet), PC (basal diet + 3,000 mg/kg conventional ZnO), 500HiZ (basal diet + 500 mg/kg porous particles ZnO), and 500ZNP (basal diet + 500 mg/kg nano particles ZnO). Compared with the NC diet group, both 500HiZ and 500ZNP increased (P < 0.05) average daily feed intake (1 to 28 d) and average daily gain (1 to 28 d), and the 500ZNP tended to decrease feed to gain ratio (F:G ratio, 1 to 28 d) (P = 0.09). Both 500HiZ and 500ZNP decreased crypt depth of the ileum and increased claudin-2 in the duodenum and zonula occludens-1 in the ileum (P < 0.05). Moreover, both 500HiZ and 500ZNP decreased IL-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the jejunum and decreased TNF-α and IL-6 in the ileum (P < 0.05). Both 500HiZ and 500ZNP increased microbial β-diversity index in the ileum and microbial α-diversity indices in the colon of piglets (P < 0.05). The probiotic genera Coprococcus (500ZNP) and Blautia (500HiZ) were positively correlated with the F:G ratio (1 to 28 d) in colon of piglets (P < 0.05). In addition, 500HiZ promoted mitochondrial fusion protein 1 (MFN1) and zinc transporter-1 (ZnT-1) in the jejunum (P < 0.05), whilst 500ZNP decreased MFN1 in the jejunum and ZnT-1 in the ileum (P < 0.05). In summary, both 500HiZ and 500ZNP improved the growth performance of piglets, which is likely via the genera Blautia and Coprococcus, respectively. Both 500HiZ and 500ZNP improved barrier function and inflammation of the intestine, and 500HiZ achieved better efficacy than 500ZNP on intestine mitochondrial functions.

Mapping the structural properties of zinc scaffold fabricated via rapid tooling for bone tissue engineering applications

PurposeThe purpose of this study to investigate the organized porous network zinc (OPNZ) scaffolds. Their mechanical characteristics, surface roughness and fracture mechanism were assessed in relation to their structural properties. The prospects of fused deposition modeling (FDM) for printing metal scaffolds via rapid tooling have also been studied.Design/methodology/approachZn scaffolds with different pore and strut sizes were manufactured via the rapid tooling method. This method is a multistep process that begins with the 3D printing of a polymer template. Later, a paraffin template was obtained from the prepared polymer template. Finally, this paraffin template was used to fabricate the Zn scaffold using microwave sintering. The characterization of prepared Zn samples involved structural characterization, microstructural study, surface roughness testing and compression testing. Moreover, based on the Gibson–Ashby model analysis, the model equations’ constant values were evaluated, which can help in predicting the mechanical properties of Zn scaffolds.FindingsThe scanning electron microscopy study confirmed that the fabricated sample pores were open and interconnected. The X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the Zn scaffold contained hexagonal closed-packed Zn peaks related to the a-Zn phase, validating that scaffolds were free from contamination and impurity. The range for ultimate compressive strength, compressive modulus and plateau stresses for Zn samples were found to be 6.75–39 MPa, 0.14–3.51 GPa and 1.85–12.6 MPa by adjusting their porosity, which are comparable with the cancellous bones. The average roughness value for the Zn scaffolds was found to be 1.86 µm.Originality/valueThis research work can widen the scope for extrusion-based FDM printers for fabricating biocompatible and biodegradable metal Zn scaffolds. This study also revealed the effects of scaffold structural properties like porosity, pore and strut size effect on their mechanical characteristics in view of tissue engineering applications.

Porous flower-like Zn0.18V2O5·0.84 H2O as cathode for ultralong lifespan aqueous zinc-ion batteries

Vanadium-based oxides have attracted extensive attention in the study of cathode materials for aqueous rechargeable zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) due to multivalent state, high capacity and inexpensive cost. Nevertheless, the disadvantages with vanadium dissolution and poor cycle stability in the cathode limit its application. To cope with these problems, we design a novel porous zinc vanadium oxide (Zn0.18V2O5·0.84 H2O) with enhanced transport kinetics and structural stability during cycling due to the action of interlayer doping of Zn2+. Specially, the Zn0.18V2O5·0.84 H2O as the cathode of ZIBs manifests an excellent specific capacity of 416 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1 and the retention capacity is 189 mAh g−1 after 10,000 cycles at 10 A g−1. It also offers a significant rate performance and attaches an energy density of up to 279.5 wh kg−1. Moreover, the electrode was placed in 3 M Zn(CF3SO3)2 electrolyte for 4500 h without obvious change, indicating that the porous structure is not liable to collapse, and the electrode is rich in contact with the electrolyte, which shortens the diffusion path of Zn2+.

A practical approach using a novel porous photocatalyst/hydrogel composite for wastewater treatment

In this study, a practical use-suited highly porous zinc oxide/polyacrylamide hydrogel composite photocatalyst (ZnO/PAM) was successfully synthesized by varying the precursor ratio upon photoinitiated polymerization of acrylamide (AM), N,N-methylenebisacrylamide (NMBA) and zinc oxide (ZnO). The photocatalytic treatment of real wastewater was investigated. The results revealed that porous ZnO/PAM was effective for the removal of color, BOD and COD in the Mae Kha canal and industrial wastewater. Furthermore, it showed good long-term stability and recycling performance, as the degradation efficiency remained up to 81.55% for MB and 75.4% for MO after 50 degradation cycles. Based on the results, the highly porous zinc oxide/polyacrylamide hydrogel composite prepared by using a specific precursor ratio has good potential for use in real wastewater treatment. Separation of the porous hydrogel from wastewater can be achieved by the preparation of a floatable porous ZnO/PAM hydrogel.

ZIF-90-Derived Porous ZnO Coated Optical Microfiber Interferometer Sensor for Enhanced Humidity Sensing and Breath Monitoring.

Humidity plays an important role in many fields, and the realization of high sensitivity and fast response simultaneously for humidity detection is a great challenge in practical application. In this work, we demonstrated a high-performance relative humidity (RH) sensor made by supporting zeolitic imidazolate framework-90 (ZIF-90)-derived porous zinc oxide (ZnO) onto an optical microfiber Sagnac interferometer (OMSI). The ZIF-90-modified OMSI (ZIF-90-OMSI) sensor was in situ heated at different temperatures to obtain porous ZnO, and their humidity-sensing properties were investigated ranging from 25 to 80% RH. The experimental results showed that the porous ZnO fiber sensor prepared at 500 °C (Z500-OMSI) exhibited best humidity-sensing performance with a high sensitivity of 96.2 pm/% RH (25-45% RH) and 521 pm/% RH (50-80% RH) and ultrafast response/recovery time (62.37/206.67 ms) at 22.3% RH. These performances were attributed to the complete transformation of ZIF-90 to ZnO at 500 °C. The obtained Z500 not only retained the high porosity and specific surface area of ZIF-90 but also exhibited the exceptional hydrophilicity of ZnO. In addition, the signals of the proposed Z500-OMSI sensor changed with different breathing patterns, indicating the possibility for human respiration monitoring. This work provided a reliable candidate for an effective RH monitoring system with potential application in medical diagnoses, industrial production, environmental detection, and human health monitoring.

Exploring the Performance and Mass-Transfer Characteristics of Porous Zinc Anodes for Membraneless Hybrid-Flow Batteries

Zinc-based hybrid-flow batteries are considered as a promising alternative to conventional electrochemical energy-storage systems for medium- to large-scale applications due to their high energy densities, safety, and abundance. However, the performance of these batteries has been limited by issues such as dendritic growth and passivation of zinc anodes during charge–discharge cycling. To address this challenge, a variety of two- and three-dimensional zinc anodes have been investigated. While two-dimensional zinc anodes have been extensively studied, there has been limited investigation into three-dimensional zinc anodes for hybrid-flow batteries. This study highlights the potential of three-dimensional zinc anodes to mitigate overpotentials and improve the mass transport of active species to promote negative electrode reactions. The performance of a membraneless flow battery based on low-cost zinc and organic quinone was herein evaluated using experimental and numerical approaches. Specifically, the use of zinc fiber was shown to yield an average coulombic efficiency of approximately 90% and an average voltage efficiency of approximately 82% over the course of 100 cycles at a current density of 30 mA cm−2. These results indicate the viability of using zinc fiber anodes to improve the performance of existing hybrid-flow batteries.

N-doped porous carbon-anchored zinc single-atom as an efficient and robust heterogeneous catalyst for glycerol carbonylation with urea

Constructing highly efficient and stable heterogeneous catalysts for glycerol carbonylation is a very significant subject for its importance in promoting the development of biodiesel industry. Herein, a carbon-based single-Zn-atom catalyst (Zn1/NC) was prepared by using N-doped porous carbon material (NC) as support via a wet impregnation technique, following a thermal treatment at 600 °C. Various characterization results demonstrate that Zn2+ cations are atomically dispersed on the surface of NC support by coordination with the existed N- and O-containing groups. The Zn1/NC catalyst exhibited outstanding catalytic activity, selectivity and stability for glycerol carbonylation with urea at mild conditions. Operando ReactIR spectra results show that urea molecules could be easily activated by the single-atom Zn catalyst then react with glycerol molecules to generate the main product of glycerol carbonate via an intermediate of 2,3-dihydroxypropyl carbamate. Density functional theory calculations reveal that NC support could provide a unique coordination environments for the single-atom site of Zn2+, which can guarantee the preferential adsorption of urea molecule (rather than glycerol) and effectively inhibit the generation of the unfavorable Zn-glycerol complex, thus leading to the formation of highly efficient and robust heterogeneous catalyst for glycerol carbonylation with urea.

Cu/CuO-Doped ZnO Nanocomposites via Solution Combustion Synthesis for Catalytic 4-Nitrophenol Reduction.

The synthesis of optoelectrically enhanced nanomaterials should be continuously improved by employing time- and energy-saving techniques. The porous zinc oxide (ZnO) and copper-doped ZnO nanocomposites (NCs) were synthesized by the time- and energy-efficient solution combustion synthesis (SCS) approach. In this SCS approach, once the precursor-surfactant complex ignition point is reached, the reaction starts and ends within a short time without the need for any external energy. The TGA-DTA analysis confirmed that 500 °C was the point at which stable metal oxide was obtained. The doping and heterojunction strategy improved the optoelectric properties of the NCs more than the individual constituents, which then enhanced the materials' charge transfer and optical absorption capabilities. The porosity, nanoscale crystallite size (15-50 nm), and formation of Cu/CuO-ZnO NCs materials were confirmed from the XRD, SEM, and TEM/HRTEM analyses. The obtained d-spacing values of 0.275 and 0.234 nm confirm the formation of ZnO and CuO crystals, respectively. The decrease in photoluminescence intensity for the doped NCs corroborates a reduction in electron-hole recombination. On the Mott-Schottky analysis, the positive slope for ZnO confirms the n-type character, while the negative and positive slopes of the NCs confirm the p- and n-type characters, respectively. A diffusion-controlled type of charge transfer process on the electrode surface was confirmed from the cyclic voltammetric analysis. Thus, the overall analysis shows the applicability of the less expensive and more efficient SCS for several applications, such as catalysis and sensors. To confirm this, an organic catalytic reduction reaction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol was tested. Within three and a half minutes, the catalytic reduction result showed the great potential of NCs over ZnO NPs. Thus, the energy- and time-saving SCS approach has a great future outlook as an industrial pollutant catalytic reduction application.

Zn-based MOFs materials fabricated by mechanochemical ball milling and hydrothermal method and derived metal oxides

In the present work, the Zn-MOFs nanostructures from zinc sulfate and cyanoguanidine source precursors were successfully fabricated through two chemical and mechanical synthesis methods including hydrothermal and high energy ball milling methods. Then, the obtained Zn-MOFs were calcined at 550 °C for 110 min. The prepared nanostructures were determined by XRD, SEM and FTIR methods to gain insight about structure, morphology and functional groups properties. The findings confirm the fabrication of Zn-MOFs by using high energy ball milling methods. In addition, the obtained MOF and complex structures can be converted to porous zinc oxide by a simple thermal annealing in air. Then, the line broadening of ZnO calcined at 550 °C from MOFs structures from mechanochemical and hydrothermal methods due to the small crystallite size and lattice strain. The X-ray peak broadening analysis was investigated by the Scherrer formula and Williamson Hall method including uniform deformation model (UDM), uniform stress deformation model (USDM) and uniform deformation energy density model (UDEDM) and size-strain plot method.

A zinc-metal organic framework as a stable and efficient electrode for high-performance supercapacitor

This study presents the development of a high-performance supercapacitor based on a porous zinc metal–organic framework-based electrode (Zn-MOF). The Zn-MOF was characterized using Raman spectroscopy, photoluminescence, and UV–vis spectroscopy. Electrochemical measurements were used to investigate the performance of the Zn-MOF-based supercapacitor. The results show that the Zn-MOF-based electrode exhibits a high energy density of 5.213 Wh kg−1, a high power density of 479.96 W kg−1, and a capacitance of 58.6F g−1. This work provides a unique strategy for fabricating transition metal–organic framework materials and utilizing them as a potential application for high-performance supercapacitors.

Fe, Zn Co-Doped Porous Carbon Nanofiber-Based Rechargeable Zinc Air Batteries with Stable Operation over 1600 h

Rational design of effective non-noble metal-based electrocatalysts with high conductivity, abundant active sites, and superior stability for zinc–air batteries (ZABs) with long-term cycling ability is highly demanded. A suitable carrier that can provide a high specific surface and porous structure to facilitate the exposure of active sites and the diffusion of reactants, products, and charges is of great importance. Herein, one-dimensional (1D) Fe–Zn-doped porous carbon fibers (Fe–Zn@NCF) are prepared from a polymer fiber matrix encapsulated with Fe-doped ZIF-8 nanocrystals by pyrolysis. The Fe–Zn@NCF exhibits good performance toward the oxygen reduction reaction or oxygen evolution reaction. Impressively, the assembled ZAB with Fe–Zn@NCF as the catalyst delivers a maximum peak power density of 184.6 mW cm–2, excellent rechargeability with a round-trip efficiency of 66.5%, and stable operation over 1600 h (800 cycles). These excellent electrocatalytic performances can be attributed to the Fe/Zn-based dual catalytic active sites and the 1D carbon fiber support of the catalyst with a hierarchical porous structure, a large surface area, and high conductivity that can facilitate fast mass and electron transportation and maintain the structural stability of the catalyst during cycling.

Two‐Dimensional (2D) Porous Zinc Oxides Derived from the Coordination Polymer via Chemical‐Assisted Phase Transition

AbstractTwo‐dimensional (2D) porous zinc oxides (ZnO) were successfully prepared via chemical treatment and thermal annealing of coordination polymers (CPs) precursors consisting of Zn(II) ion and fumarate ligand. The morphology, crystalline phase, chemical state, and surface area of the resultant ZnO were characterized. It is experimentally discovered that the crystal phase of the CP bearing Zn(II) ions is transformed to the zinc hydroxide crystal phase by chemical treatment using ammonia water. The prepared CP‐derived porous 2D ZnO exhibited enhanced photocatalytic efficiency for dye degradation under black‐light irradiation (365 nm) compared to CP‐derived non‐porous ZnO without a chemical‐assisted phase transition process.

Hydrothermally Grown Zinc Oxide Nanostructures@Carbon Composites for Supercapacitor Application

A simple approach for growing porous nanostructured zinc oxide (ZnO) and making its well‐dispersed nanocomposite with activated carbon (AC) is demonstrated. Synthesis is done hydrothermally at 140 °C for 10 hours. X‐ray diffraction (XRD), energy‐dispersive X‐ray (EDX), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) measurements confirm the formation of crystalline ZnO nanoparticles with flower‐shaped morphology comprising clusters of nanopetals. ZnO and its composite with AC are used to fabricate symmetric hybrid supercapacitors. The electrochemical performance of ZnO electrode is compared to ZnO–AC composite electrode using 1 M Na2SO4 aqueous electrolyte. The electrochemical performance evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge–discharge (GCD) demonstrates enhanced charge storage in ZnO–AC electrodes. The specific capacitance values of ZnO and ZnO–AC‐based electrodes are found to be 214 and 298 F g−1 respectively at a current density of 1 A g−1 and the energy densities are 29.72 and 48.39 Wh kg−1 respectively at power density of 1 kW kg−1. The porous space between ZnO nanopetals and its high surface area geometry coupled with complementing properties of AC seems to facilitate a synergistic effect between ZnO's faradaic and AC's electric double‐layer charge storage mechanisms, thus leading to enhanced specific capacitance with superior performance.

Empowering Zn Electrode Current Capability Along Interfacial Stability by Optimizing Intrinsic Safe Organic Electrolytes.

Metallic Zn is one of the most promising anodes, but its practical application has been hindered by dendritic growth and serious interfacial reactions in conventional electrolytes. Herein, ionic liquids are adopted to prepare intrinsically safe electrolytes via combining with TEP or TMP solvents. With this synergy effect, the blends of TEP/TMP with an IL fraction of ≈25 wt% are found to be promising electrolytes, with ionic conductivities comparable to those of standard phosphate-based electrolytes while electrochemical stabilities are considerably improved; over 1000 h at 2.0 mA cm-2 and ≈350 h at 5.0 mA cm-2 with a large areal capacity of 10 mAh cm-2 . The use of functionalized IL turns out to be a key factor in enhancing the Zn2+ transport due to the interaction of Zn2+ ions with IL-zincophilic sites resulting in reduced interfacial resistance between the electrodes and electrolyte upon cycling leading to spongy-like highly porous, homogeneous, and dendrite-free zinc as an anode material.