Working Aqueous Zn Metal Batteries at 100?C

Reliable power supplies at extremely high temperatures are urgently needed to broaden the application scenarios for electric devices. Aqueous zinc metal batteries (ZMBs) with intrinsic safety are a promising alterative for high-temperature energy storage. However, the reversibility and long-term cycling stability of aqueous ZMBs at extremely high temperatures (???100 ??C) have rarely been explored. Herein, we reveal that spontaneous Zn corrosion and severe electrochemical hydrogen evolution at high temperature are vital restrictions for traditional aqueous ZMBs. To address this, a crowding agent, 1,5-pentanediol, was introduced into an aqueous electrolyte to suppress water reactivity by strengthening O???H bonds of H2O and decreasing H2O content in the Zn2+ solvation sheath, while maintaining flame resistance of the electrolyte. Importantly, this electrolyte enabled reversible Zn deposition with a Coulombic efficiency of 98.1% and a long cycling life of Zn//Zn batteries for over 500 cycles (at 1 mA cm???2 and 0.5 mAh cm???2) at 100 ??C. Moreover, stable cycling of Zn//Te full batteries at 100 ??C was demonstrated. Superscript/Subscript Available

Automated summary

This study explores the limitations of traditional aqueous ZMBs at extremely high temperatures and proposes a solution by introducing a crowding agent. The results show that this modified electrolyte enables reversible deposition and stable cycling at 100 ??C.