A supramolecular gel polymer electrolyte for ultralong-life zinc-ion hybrid supercapacitors

Zinc ion hybrid supercapacitor (ZIHS) is attracting extensive interest due to its potential application in portable electronics and electric vehicles. However, its practical application is hindered by the zinc dendrites issues. To suppress the growth of Zn dendrites, a new supramolecular gel polymer electrolyte (SGPE) containing Zn2+ is constructed, which exhibits good mechanical performance and high ionic conductivity. As a proof-of-concept, ZIHS assembled by the SGPE, activated carbon materials, and Zn metal not only demonstrates a wide voltage window of 0.2-2 V but also displays an admirable cycling life over 110,000 cycles at 5 A g-1 with ~84% capacitance retention and 100% Coulombic efficiency. This work uncovers a feasible strategy for regulating zinc deposition in ZIHS by SGPE and provides an advanced platform for the design of the cathode materials for ZIHS.

Automated summary

Zinc ion hybrid supercapacitor (ZIHS) shows great potential in portable electronics and electric vehicles, but the issue of zinc dendrites hinders its practical application. A new supramolecular gel polymer electrolyte (SGPE) is constructed to suppress the growth of zinc dendrites and provide good mechanical performance and high ionic conductivity. The ZIHS assembled with SGPE, activated carbon materials, and zinc metal demonstrates a wide voltage window and impressive cycling life.