Ethanol Solvent Used in Constructing Ultra-Low-Temperature Zinc-Ion Capacitors with a Long Cycling Life

Zinc-ion capacitors (ZICs) gain enormous attraction for their high power density, low cost, and long life, but their poor low-temperature performance is still a challenge due to the dissatisfactory freezing point of aqueous electrolyte solution. It is difficult for them to meet the requirements in cold environments as well as the extreme low temperature and severe temperature fluctuations in aerospace environments. Herein, ethanol (EtOH) solvent with ZnCl2 is used as an electrolyte to address these issues. Benefiting from the low freezing point (−114 °C) of EtOH, the ZIC with the ZnCl2/EtOH electrolyte can be operated at an ultralow temperature of −78 °C. It also demonstrates long cycling stability over 30,000 cycles. Such an enhancement is attributed to the unique properties of [ZnCl(EtOH)5]+ that can stabilize the coordination environment of Zn2+, slow the diffusivity, and raise the nucleation overpotential, leading to uniform Zn plating/stripping and subsequently suppressing dendrite growth. Meanwhile, the lower activation energy in ZnCl2/EtOH than that in ZnSO4/H2O electrolytes endows the ZIC excellent charge transfer properties. This work provides a fascinating electrolyte and a feasible pathway for ultra-low-temperature ZICs with a long cycling life.