Molecular‐Crowding Effect Mimicking Cold‐Resistant Plants to Stabilize the Zinc Anode with Wider Service Temperature Range

Abstract Growth of dendrites, the low plating/stripping efficiency of Zn anodes, and the high freezing point of aqueous electrolytes hinder the practical application of aqueous Zn‐ion batteries. Here, a zwitterionic osmolyte‐based molecular crowding electrolyte is presented, by adding betaine (Bet, a by‐product from beet plant) to the aqueous electrolyte, to solve the abovementioned problems. Substantive verification tests, density functional theory calculations, and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations consistently reveal that side reactions and growth of Zn dendrites are restrained because Bet can break Zn 2+ solvation and regulate oriented 2D Zn 2+ deposition. The Bet/ZnSO 4 electrolyte enables superior…

• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Awards: 51604089, 21903058, 22173066, 51874110
• NS
  Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province

  Award: BK20190810
• NS
  Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province

  Award: YQ2021B004
• PA
  Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions
• HE
  Higher Education Discipline Innovation Project
• AR
  Australian Research Council

  Awards: DP210102215, IH200100035