Silane cooperation with Ce2(SO4)3 to efficiently construct a protective layer and induce uniform deposition of Zn2+ for an ultra-stable Zn anode

Abstract

Aqueous Zn ion batteries (ZIBs) are gaining interest for use in large-scale energy storage systems due to their intrinsic safety, low cost, and sustainability. Unfortunately, water-induced side reactions and dendrite growth on the Zn anode have severely hampered their further development. Herein, 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (KH-540) was employed as an electrolyte additive to construct an organic–inorganic solid-electrolyte interface (SEI) layer comprising zinc hydroxy sulfate and polysiloxane to alleviate the side reactions and inhibit dendrite growth. Moreover, Ce₂(SO₄)₃ was simultaneously introduced to shield the protuberances on the surface of the Zn anode, thus effectively decreasing the “tip effect”. Due to the synergistic effect of the dual additives, uniform Zn deposition was achieved and the cycling stability of Zn anode significantly improved. As a result, the Zn‖Zn symmetric battery exhibits a long cycle life of 5000 h at a current density of 1.0 mA cm⁻² with an areal capacity of 1.0 mA h cm⁻², as well as high Coulombic efficiency of nearly 100%. The Zn‖V₂O₅ full cell delivers a high specific capacity of 188.35 mA h g⁻¹ even after 1000 cycles.