Authors
Ziqi Jiang, Jie Deng, Olivier Fontaine, Xuanze Wang, Yachao Zhu
Published in
Philosophical transactions. Series A, Mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences. Volume 384. Issue 2330. Oct 08, 2026.
Abstract
Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) are attractive for safe and sustainable energy storage, but their operation in cold environments remains constrained by the temperature sensitivity of water-based electrolytes. When cooled, the strengthening and ordering of the hydrogen-bond (HB) network, together with slowed ion diffusion and altered solvation/desolvation equilibria, can simultaneously reduce conductivity and destabilize electrode interfaces. These coupled effects translate into pronounced polarization, poor zinc plating/stripping reversibility and accelerated performance decay. This mini-review discusses electrolyte advances for low-temperature ZIBs from a physicochemical perspective. We first outline how HB reorganization, Zn2+ solvation structure and ion-solvent interactions collectively govern freezing behaviour, transport kinetics and interfacial reactions. We then survey representative design strategies, including concentration-driven electrolytes, organic co-solvents, eutectic systems and anti-freeze hydrogels, to show how distinct routes can reduce water activity, maintain liquid-like dynamics and promote stable interphases under sub-zero conditions. Finally, we highlight emerging concepts, such as solvation-entropy regulation, chaotropic/kosmotropic ion effects and field- or cycling-induced interphase formation, and discuss the remaining gaps towards transferable design descriptors and practical all-climate zinc batteries. This article is part of the theme issue 'Electrolytes within the domain of electrochemistry and electrochemical energy storage'.
PMID:
42845131
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 08 Oct 2026.
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