Fatty acid methyl ester ethoxylate additive for enhancing high-temperature aqueous zinc-ion battery performance.

This article focuses on improving the high-temperature performance of aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) by introducing fatty acid methyl ester ethoxylate (FMEE) as an electrolyte additive. FMEE modifies the Zn^2+ solvation structure and stabilizes water clusters, which suppresses side reactions such as hydrogen evolution and zinc corrosion, while promoting the formation of a robust solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) rich in ZnF₂ and ZnS. Electrochemical tests demonstrated that the FMEE-modified electrolyte significantly enhances cycling stability, achieving over 3000 hours of stable Zn plating/stripping at room temperature and maintaining superior performance at 60 °C in Zn–V₂O₅ full cells. This strategy offers a scalable and effective approach to enhance the interfacial stability and thermal tolerance of AZIBs, with potential applicability to other aqueous metal-ion battery systems.