zinc ion

zinc-ion batteries

aqueous zinc

battery

electrolyte additive

quasi solid

air batteries

Nano Energy

Aqueous rechargeable zinc ion batteries (ARZIBs) is considered one of the most compelling candidates for grid-scale energy storage owing to their cost effectiveness, good safety, eco-friendliness, high output voltage, and high capacity. However, their practical applications are still largely limited by the undesirable cyclability and high-rate capability. Here, we report a discovery that using a small amount (2 vol%) of diethyl ether (Et2O) as the electrolyte additive could largely improve the performance of Zn–MnO2 batteries. The addition of Et2O yielded the first cycle coulombic efficiency of 95.6% at 50 mA/g, a high capacity of 115.9 mAh/g at 5 A/g and 97.7% retention of initial capacity after 4000 cycles, demonstrating an outstanding rate capability and cycling performance among the reported Mn-based zinc ions batteries in mild electrolyte. Ex-situ characterizations revealed that appropriate amount of Et2O molecules could effectively suppress the formation of Zn dendrites on Zn anode, which is the main mechanism for cyclability improvements.

Diethyl ether as self-healing electrolyte additive enabled long-life rechargeable aqueous zinc ion batteries