The issue with zinc batteries so far is that when the zinc ion (Zn2+) concentration on the surface of the anode drops to zero, dendrites start growing. Uncontrolled Zn dendrite growth deteriorates the electrochemical performance and poses a serious threat to safe operation.
“These dendrites can penetrate the separator and cause the battery to short-circuit,” study co-author Meinan Liu said in a media statement.
According to Liu, past studies have shown that adjusting the solvent environment -called ‘solvation structure’- can increase the mobility of Zn2+ in response to the electric field and successfully suppresses the growth of dendrites. The problem was that these previous adjustments—like introducing other salts or including fewer water molecules—ended up decreasing the ionic conductivity of the system as well.
“There was a fundamental understanding gap between…
Common table sugar key to improving aqueous zinc batteries’ safety features
