Authors: Somayeh Asadi Haris, Sadaf Adhami, Recep Yuksel, Sang Ouk Kim
Published: 2025-03-24
Source: Full article
AbstractAn innovative strategy is presented to enhance the electrochemical stability and performance of aqueous zinc‐ion batteries (ZIBs) through laser‐assisted carbonization of chitosan biopolymer as a surface modification layer on zinc anodes (c‐Chi/Zn). The c‐Chi layer addresses critical challenges, including dendrite formation and uneven Zn deposition, by providing a stable, dendrite‐resistant interface. Comprehensive structural, chemical, and electrochemical analyses reveal that the c‐Chi layer improves Zn2⁺ transport kinetics and significantly stabilizes the anode‐electrolyte interface, enabling long‐term cycling. Symmetrical and half‐cell configurations with c‐Chi/Zn anodes exhibit exceptional durability, maintaining cycling stability for over 3300 h at a 2.0 mA cm⁻2 current density. In full‐cell configurations, the c‐Chi/Zn║V₂O₅ system delivers a high specific capacity of 338 mAh g⁻¹ at 0.2 A g⁻¹ and has a capacity retention of 73% at 1.0 A g⁻¹ after 1000 cycles—far outperforming bare Zn║V₂O₅ cells, which retain only 41%. This work demonstrates that N‐doped porous carbon coating derived from chitosan enhances Zn anode performance in aqueous ZIBs. This scalable and eco‐friendly surface modification offers a promising pathway toward safe, high‐performance, and sustainable energy storage systems.