Design Principles for Dendrite Suppression with Porous Polymer/Aqueous Solution Hybrid Electrolyte for Zn Metal Anodes

Rechargeable zinc–metal batteries have attracted widespread attention recently as a potential substitute for lithium-ion batteries due to their low cost, large volumetric capacity, and capability to use a safe aqueous electrolyte. However, dendrite growth during charging results in degradation of battery performance and aggravates safety concerns. In this work, we use phase-field simulations to analyze the design space for a porous polymer/aqueous ZnSO4 hybrid electrolyte. We show that dendrite growth could be suppressed, utilizing both the mechanical suppression effect from the polymer framework and the high diffusivity from the aqueous electrolyte. We identify some concrete directions to experimentally access these ranges of mechanical properties and porosity. As done in our previous work, we make all code available to spur growth of phase-field modeling for Zn-based rechargeable batteries.