Achieving high current density, high areal capacity, and high DOD AZIBs by screening amino acids

Abstract

Through theoretical screening of various amino acids, our study has effectively created a robust technique to improve the performance of aqueous zinc chemistry by introducing histidine or arginine as electrolyte additives. It was discovered that histidine and arginine may create an interphase on the zinc surface, optimize the electrolyte's solvation structure, and modify the structure of the electric double layer (EDL). The mechanism that results in homogenized and faster zinc ion transport is known as “N-coordination, O-anchoring”. Outstanding long-term cycle stability and extraordinary rate performance have been made possible by this optimization technique, especially in the face of extreme circumstances like high depth of discharge (DOD) (68%), high areal density (80 mA h cm⁻²), and high current density (40 mA cm⁻²). Surprisingly, at high current density (40 mA cm⁻² & 40 mA h cm⁻²), ultra-high deposition capacity (56 240 mA h cm⁻²) was reached, surpassing all previously reported values. We think that this all-encompassing optimization strategy, which is simple, environmentally friendly, and effective, has a lot of potential to be applied to other multivalent ion batteries that are dealing with comparable problems. Our research advances scalable and sustainable battery technology by providing a roadmap for the development of innovative energy storage devices.