Resolving the Anti‐freezing/Self‐healing Trade‐off in Zn‐Ion Batteries with a Zn <sup>2+</sup> ‐Anchored Dynamic Quaternary Hydrogen‐Bond Network for Extreme‐Temperature Operation

ABSTRACT The commercialization of aqueous zinc‐ion batteries is hampered by a fundamental paradox: electrolytes with anti‐freezing properties typically lack self‐healing capability, and vice versa. Herein, we decouple this trade‐off through the ingenious design of a synergistic network within a eutectogel electrolyte. This network is governed by strong Zn 2+ coordination acting as rigid anchors, coupled with a dynamic quaternary hydrogen‐bond (HB) network involving glycerol, ClO 4 − , water, and polyacrylamide serving as flexible bridges. In this configuration, the strong Zn 2+ coordination and dense hydrogen bonds synergistically inhibit ice lattice formation to ensure anti‐freezing, while the reversible hydrogen bonds enable dynamic molecular reconfiguration for self‐healing. The resulting gel remains ice‐free at −75°C and self‐heals within 10 min even at −20°C. Concurrently, this unique structure reconstructs the Zn 2+ solvation sheath, significantly reducing the water coordination number from 3.65 to 2.62, which effectively suppresses water‐induced parasitic reactions. Coupled with robust in situ interfacial engineering, the assembled battery exhibits a high specific capacity and exceptional cycling stability (97.0% capacity retention after 1000 cycles at 5 A g −1 ) over a wide temperature range of 80°C (−20°C–60°C). This work not only provides a high‐performance electrolyte for practical zinc batteries but also establishes an innovative design paradigm for resolving property conflicts in advanced functional materials.

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Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Energy Materials
Published
2026-02-21
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.202506522
Primary Topic
Advanced battery technologies research
Type
article
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article

Resolving the Anti‐freezing/Self‐healing Trade‐off in Zn‐Ion Batteries with a Zn 2+ ‐Anchored Dynamic Quaternary Hydrogen‐Bond Network for Extreme‐Temperature Operation

Tianchen Shen, Junye Zhang, Jie Yang, Luyang Chen et al.
Advanced Energy Materials
Advanced battery technologies research
article

Resolving the Anti‐freezing/Self‐healing Trade‐off in Zn‐Ion Batteries with a Zn 2+ ‐Anchored Dynamic Quaternary Hydrogen‐Bond Network for Extreme‐Temperature Operation

Tianchen Shen, Junye Zhang, Jie Yang, Luyang Chen, Qiuya Wang, Chen Huang, Linlin Wang, Shigang Lu, Ling Zhang
article en

Abstract

ABSTRACT The commercialization of aqueous zinc‐ion batteries is hampered by a fundamental paradox: electrolytes with anti‐freezing properties typically lack self‐healing capability, and vice versa. Herein, we decouple this trade‐off through the ingenious design of a synergistic network within a eutectogel electrolyte. This network is governed by strong Zn 2+ coordination acting as rigid anchors, coupled with a dynamic quaternary hydrogen‐bond (HB) network involving glycerol, ClO 4 − , water, and polyacrylamide serving as flexible bridges. In this configuration, the strong Zn 2+ coordination and dense hydrogen bonds synergistically inhibit ice lattice formation to ensure anti‐freezing, while the reversible hydrogen bonds enable dynamic molecular reconfiguration for self‐healing. The resulting gel remains ice‐free at −75°C and self‐heals within 10 min even at −20°C. Concurrently, this unique structure reconstructs the Zn 2+ solvation sheath, significantly reducing the water coordination number from 3.65 to 2.62, which effectively suppresses water‐induced parasitic reactions. Coupled with robust in situ interfacial engineering, the assembled battery exhibits a high specific capacity and exceptional cycling stability (97.0% capacity retention after 1000 cycles at 5 A g −1 ) over a wide temperature range of 80°C (−20°C–60°C). This work not only provides a high‐performance electrolyte for practical zinc batteries but also establishes an innovative design paradigm for resolving property conflicts in advanced functional materials.

Advanced Energy Materials
East China University of Science and Technology (CN), University of Shanghai for Science and Technology (CN)
Openalex Percentile: Top 48%
Advanced battery technologies research
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