Trace-Additive-Mediated Hydrophobic Structure Editing of Aqueous Zinc Metal Batteries for Enabling All-Climate Long-Term Operation

Sluggish transport kinetics and erratic electrode interface thermodynamics are the main culprits in the deterioration of aqueous zinc metal batteries. Here, a concept of trace-additive-mediated hydrophobic structure editing is presented, by adding trifunctional amphoteric poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) to reconstruct the Zn2+ solvated structure and in situ self-assemble the chemical adsorption layer on the electrode surface. As confirmed, the Zn2+ transport kinetics can be enhanced by coordinating with the ionized PAA molecular chains. Moreover, such a hydrophobic interface can avoid direct contact between H2O and the electrodes to inhibit the side reaction and dissolution. Thus, an impressive cumulative capacity of 8232 mAh cm–2 at 5 mA cm–2 was achieved and extended lifespans of 60 and 35 times at −25 and 60 °C, respectively. As a proof of concept, the construction of wide-temperature, durable full batteries demonstrates the great promise of such integrated hydrophobic structure editing in developing all-climate aqueous energy storage devices.