Tailoring water structure with high-tetrahedral-entropy for antifreezing electrolytes and energy storage at −80 °C

Abstract One of unsolved puzzles about water lies in how ion-water interplay affects its freezing point. Here, we report the direct link between tetrahedral entropy and the freezing behavior of water in Zn 2+ -based electrolytes by analyzing experimental spectra and molecular simulation results. A higher tetrahedral entropy leads to lower freezing point, and the freezing temperature is directly related to the entropy value. By tailoring the entropy of water using different anions, we develop an ultralow temperature aqueous polyaniline| |Zn battery that exhibits a high capacity (74.17 mAh g −1 ) at 1 A g −1 and −80 °C with ~85% capacity retention after 1200 cycles due to the high electrolyte ionic conductivity…

• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Awards: 22209058, 52172202
• NS
  Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province

  Award: 2022A1515010049
• JU
  Jinan University
• BA
  Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation of Guangdong Province

  Awards: 2022A1515010049, 2020A1515110387