Plane Protection Enabling (002) Oriented Plating and Stripping Processes for Aqueous Zn-Ion Batteries

Abstract

Uniform deposition is a promising strategy to inhibit dendrite growth and corrosion of the Zn anode in cost-effective energy storage systems: aqueous Zn-ion batteries (AZIBs). Herein, we report a regulating Zn²⁺ ions dissolution/deposition method for achieving a highly reversible Zn anode. 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA) as ligands was utilized to protect the (002) plane, benefiting from the strong affinity between the thiol group and Zn, with MUA anchoring in the form of Zn-S-RCOOH, which contributes to a stable interface for uniform deposition/deposition. More importantly, the MUA bonds to the (002) plane tightly and acts as a “rivet,” strengthening the Zn–Zn bonds of the (002) plane and leading to the high exposure of the (002) plane during the plating and stripping process. The MUA@Zn anode with 50 μm ultrathin thickness exhibits excellent stability (over 4000 h) and low overpotential at high current density (0.1–23 mA cm^–2) and capacity (0.1–23 mAh cm^–2). In addition, it also delivers a capacity of 194.1 mAh g^–1 at 1 A g^–1 and capacity retention of 95% after 1000 cycles. Consequently, our work provides a facial yet interfacial engineering approach in realizing the enhancement of Zn anode stability, exhibiting significant potential for practical application in AZIBs.

Keywords

(002) / deposition / dissolution / plane protection / Zn anode

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RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2025 The Author(s). Energy & Environmental Materials published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Zhengzhou University.