On the Electrodeposition of Zinc in Low Magnetic Fields

While aqueous zinc-based batteries have garnered much research on account of their improved safety, lower cost, and easier fabrication over lithium-ion batteries, they remain held back by dendrite growth on the anode. While many different solutions have been proposed, these solutions often greatly complicate the synthesis or materials in the battery. The application of a magnetic field across the battery has been shown to inhibit dendrite formation without the need for any materials or interface engineering. Herein, we provide a study on the effects of low magnetic fields on the electrodeposition and cycling of zinc in various aqueous systems. We demonstrate that although stronger fields have more immediate impacts on the morphology of zinc deposits, low magnetic fields are still suitable for inhibiting dendrite growth over long periods of cycling. Magnetic field strengths as low as 29 mT were shown to decrease charge transfer resistance of zinc ion deposition by up to 54% and to stabilize the cycling of Zn/Zn symmetric cells. Furthermore, the versatility of magnetic field application was demonstrated by affecting the morphology of zinc deposits on both copper and single-walled carbon nanotubes, which are both compatible with anode-free configurations of aqueous zinc-ion batteries.