Experimental study demonstrates glycine-driven pH buffering suppresses interfacial side reactions in zinc-ion batteries, highlighting a viable electrolyte-additive strategy.
Key Points
To suppress harmful interfacial side reactions and dendrite growth on zinc metal anodes by dynamically buffering the local pH at the zinc/electrolyte interface.
Introduced glycine as an electrolyte additive that anchors onto the zinc surface and regulates proton transfer through reversible acid–base equilibria.
Tracked interfacial alkalization during zinc plating and stripping using in situ pH mapping with an ultramicroelectrode probe.
Evaluated electrochemical reversibility and lifespan using Zn||Cu cells, Zn||Zn symmetric cells, and Zn||NaV3O8 full cells.
In situ pH mapping confirmed that glycine effectively suppresses interfacial alkalization during zinc plating and stripping.
Zn||Cu cells achieved a Coulombic efficiency of 99.5% with the glycine-containing electrolyte.
Demonstrated stable cycling over 1,000 h in symmetric cells and long-term durability across 2,000 cycles in Zn||NaV3O8 full cells.