A TRACE AMOUNT OF ELECTROLYTE ADDITIVE TO ENHANCE THE LONG-CYCLE PERFORMANCE OF AQUEOUS ZINC ION BATTERIES

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) are expected to replace lithium-ion batteries (LIB) due to their safety and abundant Zn reserves. However, the commercial applications of AZIBs are limited by their poor cycling stability and low Coulombic efficiency due to the side reactions, growth of dendrites, and hydrogen evolution in the Zn anodes. A cost-effective and multifunctional electrolyte additive, L-citrulline (CIT), is applied to address these issues. CIT was introduced to adjust the morphologies of the Zn anode surface, change the Zn[Formula: see text] diffusion mechanisms, inhibit corrosion and hydrogen evolution reactions, and suppress the growth of dendrites. The results showed that the Zn∥Zn symmetric cell has a long cycle life of 1200[Formula: see text]h at a current density of 1[Formula: see text]mA[Formula: see text]cm[Formula: see text] with a capacity of 1[Formula: see text]mAh[Formula: see text]cm[Formula: see text] and exhibits long cycling stability with 150 h at a high current density of 5 mA cm[Formula: see text]. Notably, the NVO∥Zn full cell demonstrates a remarkable specific capacity of 190 mAh g[Formula: see text] after 3000 cycles at a high current density of 5 A g[Formula: see text], with a capacity retention rate of 77% and an average CE of 99.7%.