Citation: Renming Liu, Ze Gao, Linglong Hu, Daming Yang, Ming Feng, Dan Luo. Hydrophobic protective layer with ultra-long carbon chain for high-performance aqueous zinc ion batteries[J]. Chinese Chemical Letters, ;2026, 37(2): 111491. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2025.111491 shu

Hydrophobic protective layer with ultra-long carbon chain for high-performance aqueous zinc ion batteries

Renming Liu ^{a, b} ,
Ze Gao ^{a, b} ,
Linglong Hu ^{a, b} ,
Daming Yang ^b ,
Ming Feng ^{a, b, *,} ,
Dan Luo ^c

a.
Jilin Key Laboratory of Solid-State Laser Technology and Application, School of Physics, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun 130022, China
b.
Key Laboratory of Functional Materials Physics and Chemistry of the Ministry of Education, Jilin Normal University, Changchun 130103, China
c.
South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics & International Academy of Optoelec-tronics at Zhaoqing, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China

mingfeng@jlnu.edu.cn

Received Date: 17 May 2025
Revised Date: 15 June 2025
Accepted Date: 18 June 2025
Available Online: 19 June 2025

Figures(6)

The formation of Zn dendrites and the occurrence of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at Zn anodes represent two major obstacles that significantly impede the widespread commercialization of aqueous Zn-ion batteries. In this work, we propose sorbitan oleate (Span 80) as a novel amphiphilic electrolyte additive for 2 mol/L ZnSO₄, demonstrating multifunctional performance. The unique ultra-long hydrophobic carbon chains of Span 80 effectively reduce free water molecules at the Zn anode-electrolyte interface, forming a robust hydrophobic interfacial layer that significantly suppresses HER and corrosion reactions. Simultaneously, carbon chains can enhance the desolvation effect of [Zn(H₂O)₆]²⁺, leading to improve rate performance. Additionally, the hydrophilic sorbitan groups in Span 80 selectively adsorb onto active sites of the Zn anode, promoting uniform Zn²⁺ deposition and suppressing dendrite growth. The optimized Zn||Zn symmetric cell exhibits outstanding cycling stability, sustaining reversible plating/stripping for 570 h at 50 mA/cm² and the Zn||V₂O₅ full cell retains exceptional stability over 2000 cycles at 1 A/g. Our work presents a promising strategy for suppressing interfacial side reactions by constructing a hydrophobic protective layer through the use of ultra-long carbon chain surfactants. This approach offers new insights into enhancing the performance of aqueous Zn-ion batteries.
- Aqueous Zn-ion batteries,
- Zn anode,
- Electrolyte,
- Nonionic surfactants,
- Hydrophobic protective layer
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