The in situ solid electrolyte interphase formed using solid electrolyte additives for highly reversible zinc metal anodes

Abstract

Coating artificial solid electrolyte interphases (ASEIs) on zinc anodes is regarded as a direct and effective approach to stabilize them; however, conventional coating methods result in poor conductivity and susceptibility to delamination. Herein, we successfully synthesized GOZIF8 powder using graphene oxide and zeolitic imidazolate framework-8, followed by its incorporation into 2 M zinc sulfate (ZSO) electrolyte to facilitate the formation of in situ SEIs (ISEIs) on zinc sheets. The ISEI changed the solvation process during Zn²⁺ ion deposition and induced the epitaxial deposition of Zn²⁺ along the (110) and (101) crystal planes. Consequently, Zn//Zn symmetrical cells incorporating GOZIF8 electrolyte additives exhibited a stable cycling performance exceeding 4500 hours at a polarization potential of 20 mV under 1 mA cm⁻² and 1 mA h cm⁻². Additionally, the GOZIF8 electrolyte in the Zn//NH₄V₄O₁₀ full cells demonstrated superior coulombic efficiency and enhanced capacity, with a self-discharge capacity retention rate of up to 93.5% following a 24-hours relaxation interval. Overall, the approach of engineering the electrolyte to construct ISEI presents a novel strategy to stabilize zinc anode reversibility, providing a promising avenue for the commercial utilization of zinc-ion batteries.