Carbonized polymer dots as electrolyte additives for suppressing Zn dendrite growth, corrosion, and the HER in Zn-ion batteries

Abstract

The existence of uncontrollable zinc (Zn) dendrites and interfacial parasitic side reactions in Zn metal anodes greatly limits their development in aqueous Zn-ion batteries (ZIBs). Herein, carbonized polymer dots (CPDs) with polar groups are introduced to reduce water activity and limit water-induced side reactions. Moreover, the functional groups on the CPDs work as zincophilic sites to regulate Zn²⁺ flux and induce uniform deposition of Zn along the (002) plane. As a result, Zn||Zn symmetric cells with an electrolyte including CPDs exhibit a satisfactory cycling life of over 1350 h (1 mA cm⁻², 1 mA h cm⁻²), together with excellent performance in full cells. This work shows promising potential for CPDs used as electrolyte additives for aqueous ZIBs.