Abstract

Lithium-ion batteries dominate the consumer electronics market, but their high prices, limited resources, and potential safety risks constrain their further applications in areas such as grid-scale energy storage, flexible electronics, and the Internet of Things. As an alternative, aqueous zinc-based batteries have attracted significant attention due to their high safety and low cost. However, zinc metal, which is used as the anode material in aqueous zinc-ion batteries, faces serious challenges, including dendrite growth, corrosion, and side reactions. These issues can limit the stability of the anode and consequently impair the overall battery performance. In this thesis, we propose several strategies to enhance the stability and improve the performance of the zinc anode, including substrate engineering, applying artificial coatings, introducing interlayers, and optimizing electrolyte composition.

In Chapter 1, we introduce the significance of zinc metal anode research and propose our motivations and objectives for this thesis. In Chapter 2, we use large-area, mono-orientated MoS₂ film as the substrate to realize the epitaxial electrodeposition of zinc. This chapter experimentally characterizes and theoretically verifies the properties of the MoS₂ substrate, the effect of its edges on zinc deposition, and the crystallographic parameters of the deposited zinc. In Chapter 3, we propose an ultrathin ferroelectric polymer layer with selective polarization as the protective layer for zinc metal anode. This chapter studies the ferroelectric polymer coating, its impact on zinc deposition behavior, and the performance of the as-developed zinc anode in batteries. In Chapter 4, we present an ultrathin and robust Kevlar membrane as the interlayer to mechanically suppress zinc dendrite growth. The preparation of Kevlar films, their role in zinc deposition, and their effect on the performance of zinc-based batteries have been studied. In Chapter 5, we develop a peptide gel electrolyte for stabilizing the zinc metal anode. The formation mechanism of peptide gels, their role in stabilizing zinc anodes, and battery performance based on them have been studied. In Chapter 6, we summarize this thesis, outline the remaining challenges of zinc metal anode research, and provide perspectives for developing future high-performance aqueous zinc ion batteries.