09/06/2026
366. Ion-Sieving Dual-Network Hydrogel Electrolytes Couple Accelerated Ion Transport with Iodide Shuttle Suppression in Aqueous Zn–I2 Batteries
Ming Chen, Jia Cheng, Yixin Zhao, Wei Fu, Wen Li*, Yunhai Zhu* & Fanlu Meng*
Nano-Micro Lett. 18, 366 (2026).
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-026-02216-6
This work is led by Prof. Dr. Fanlu Meng (Ocean University of China) and co-workers. Prof. Meng’s research centers on zinc-air batteries and electrocatalytic hydrogen energy. This work reports a dual-network hydrogel electrolyte that stabilizes both Zn and iodine chemistries via a synergistic, cross-scale design spanning molecular conformation, charge microenvironment, and network topology. The hydrogel electrostatically excludes polyiodides to suppress the shuttle effect while providing low‑energy pathways for Zn²⁺ migration, achieving dendrite‑free Zn plating/stripping for over 3,500 h (1 mAh cm⁻²) and stable Zn–I₂ full cells for 20,000 cycles at 10 C.
-I2