A zwitterion additive promotes (100)-textured zinc anodes for deep cycling zinc ion batteries

Abstract

The application of Aqueous Zinc Ion Batteries (AZIBs) is severely hindered by dendrite formation, passivation, and corrosion. Modulating the crystallographic orientation of zinc deposition is recognized as an effective strategy to address these issues. In this study, we introduce 3-(1-pyridinio)-1-propanesulfonate (PPS) as an electrolyte additive in zinc sulfate electrolytes to facilitate compact zinc electrodeposition with increased exposure of the (100) crystallographic plane. Theoretical calculations and experiments demonstrate that PPS preferentially adsorbs on the (100) plane, creating a water-deficient electric double layer (EDL), resulting in a durable (100)-textured anode even under deep cycling conditions. Consequently, the zinc anode exhibited an impressive lifespan for over 2500 hours at 5 mA cm⁻², 5 mA h cm⁻² and 400 hours at a depth of discharge (DOD) of 17.1% in Zn//Zn symmetric cells, and enhanced stability in Zn//V₂O₅ cells (800 cycles with 70.54% capacity retention). This research offers a novel strategy to optimize the zinc anode for high performance AZIBs, paving the way for practical implementation in energy storage systems.