Polyetheramine Nematic Spatial Effects Reshape the Inner/Outer Helmholtz Planes for Energetic Zinc Batteries

Aqueous zinc (Zn) batteries hold significant promise as large-scale energy storage solutions aimed at mitigating the intermittency of renewable energy. Nevertheless, the Zn anode is plagued by a series of adverse reactions, hindering the development of Zn batteries toward practical applications. Herein, the concept of polyetheramine nematic spatial effects that reshape the inner and outer Helmholtz planes to stabilize Zn anode is introduced. Theoretical calculations and characterizations confirm that the reshaped Helmholtz planes exhibit a water/suflate-repulsive and homogeneous Zn²⁺ transport interface, enabling a highly stable Zn anode for energetic Zn batteries. Consequently, the anode-free Zn half-cells under the nematic spatial effects of polyetheramine achieve highly stable cycling over 390 h at an areal capacity of 50 mAh cm⁻² and over 1500 h at 10 mAh cm⁻². The constructed Zn-V₂O₅ and Zn-MnO₂ batteries exhibit stable cycle performance over 1000 and 2000 cycles, respectively. Importantly, the enlarged Zn-MnO₂ pouch cell with a capacity of 300 mAh demonstrates a specific capacity of 176 mAh g⁻¹ after stable 300 cycles. Moreover, the constructed Zn-MnO₂ pouch cell displays a successful integration with photovoltaic panels along with notable safety features. This superior electrical double-layer regulation strategy offers valuable insights into the development of practical Zn batteries.