Generating H⁺ in Catholyte and OH– in Anolyte: An Approach to Improve the Stability of Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries

We used bipolar membranes (BMs) as separators in aqueous zinc-ion batteries to decouple the electrolyte, which increased the H + concentration in the catholyte and the OH – concentration in the anolyte when cycling starting. An ultra-long running time of ∼4440 h was achieved due to the significantly enhanced H + insertion in the cathode and the formation of Zn x (OTf) y (OH) 2 x-y · n H 2 O protective layers on the zinc anode.