Upgrading Gel Electrolytes Through Electrostatic‐Induced Dual‐Salt Paradigm for Superior Zn‐Ion Battery Performance

• Published in: Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) Germany), 2024-09, Vol.20 (38), p.e2400390-n/a
• Main Authors: Wu, Jianyang, Li, Mengchao, Ding, Xuan, Chen, Zheming, Luo, Jing, Zhang, Qiaoli, Qiu, Yanbin, Wang, Qian, Liu, Wen, Yang, Chengkai
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anodes; Chemical reactions; competitive coordination; Electrolytes; Electrolytic cells; electrostatic effect; gel electrolytes; Ion transport; Lithium ions; Low temperature; Mechanical properties; Polyanilines; Rechargeable batteries; solvation structure; Steric hindrance; Strategy; Zinc coordination; Zinc salts; zinc‐ion batteries
• ISSN: 1613-6810; 1613-6829; 1613-6829
• DOI: 10.1002/smll.202400390

Gel electrolytes are gaining attention for rechargeable Zn‐ion batteries because of their high safety, high flexibility, and excellent comprehensive electrochemical performances. However, current gel electrolytes still perform at mediocre levels due to incomplete Zn salts dissociation and side reactions. Herein, an electrostatic‐induced dual‐salt strategy is proposed to upgrade gel electrolytes to tackle intrinsic issues of Zn metal anodes. The competitive coordination mechanism driven by electrostatic repulsion and steric hindrance of dual anions promotes zinc salt dissociation at low lithium salt addition levels, improving ion transport and mechanical properties of gel electrolytes. Li+ ions and gel components coordinate with H2O, reducing active H2O molecules and inhibiting associated side reactions. The dual‐salt gel electrolyte enables excellent reversibility of Zn anodes at both room and low temperatures. Zn||Polyaniline cells using the dual‐salt gel electrolyte exhibit a high discharge capacity of 180 mAh g−1 and long‐term cycling stability over 180 cycles at −20 °C. The dual‐salt strategy offers a cost‐effective approach to improving gel electrolytes for high‐performance flexible Zn‐ion batteries. An electrostatic‐induced dual‐salt paradigm is proposed to upgrade gel electrolytes, which improves the ion transport along with mechanical properties of gel electrolytes, and stabilizes Zn anodes. The dual‐salt gel electrolyte enables excellent reversibility of the Zn anode at both room and low temperatures. Furthermore, this work also provides a new direction in gel electrolyte design for Zn‐ion batteries.