Chemical Research in Chinese Universities ›› 2024, Vol. 40 ›› Issue (4): 722-729.doi: 10.1007/s40242-024-4110-9

• Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Multifunctional Sodium Gluconate Electrolyte Additive Enabling Highly Reversible Zn Anodes

ZHAO Kang1,2, ZHAO Jianan2, YU Meng1, LIU Fangming1, DONG Yang1, WANG Shiwen2, CHENG Fangyi1   

  1. 1. College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, P. R. China;
    2. College of New Energy, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou 450002, P. R. China
  • Received:2024-04-28 Online:2024-08-01 Published:2024-07-24
  • Contact: CHENG Fangyi,fycheng@nankai.edu.cn;WANG Shiwen,wshwory@zzuli.edu.cn E-mail:fycheng@nankai.edu.cn;wshwory@zzuli.edu.cn
  • Supported by:
    This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 21925503 and 22309167), the PhD Research Fund Project of Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, China (No. 2022BSJJZK10), the Science and Technology Project of Henan Province, China (No. 242102241045), the Natural Science Foundation of Henan Province, China (No. 242300420206) and the Specially-Appointed Professor Project of Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, China.µ

Abstract: Sodium gluconate (SG) is reported as an electrolyte additive for rechargeable aqueous zinc batteries. The SG addition is proposed to modulate the nucleation overpotential and plating behaviors of Zn by forming a shielding buffer layer because of the adsorption priority and large steric hindrance effect, which contributes to limited rampant Zn2+diffusion and mitigated hydrogen evolution and corrosion. With the introduction of 30 mmol/L SG in 2 mol/L ZnSO4 electrolyte, the Zn anode harvests a reversible cycling of 1200 h at 5 mA/cm2 and a high average Coulombic efficiency of Zn plating/stripping (99.6%). Full cells coupling Zn anode with V2O5·1.6H2O or polyaniline cathode far surpass the SG additive-free batteries in terms of cycle stability and rate capability. This work provides an inspiration for design of a high-effective and low-cost electrolyte additive towards Zn-based energy storage devices.

Key words: Electrolyte additive, Zn anode, Sodium gluconate, Adsorption, Zn dendrite