Dendrite-free Zn deposition initiated by nanoscale inorganic–organic coating-modified 3D host for stable Zn-ion battery

Abstract

A 3D nanostructured scaffold as the host for zinc enables effective inhibition of anodic dendrite growth. However, the increased electrode/electrolyte interface area provided by using 3D matrices exacerbates the passivation and localized corrosion of the Zn anode, ultimately bringing about the degradation of the electrochemical performance. Herein, a nanoscale coating of inorganic–organic hybrid (α-In₂Se₃-Nafion) onto a flexible carbon nanotubes (CNTs) framework (ISNF@CNTs) is designed as a Zn plating/stripping scaffold to ensure uniform Zn nucleation, thus achieving a dendrite-free and durable Zn anode. The introduced inorganic–organic interfacial layer is dense and sturdy, which hinders the direct exposure of deposited Zn to electrolytes and mitigates the side reactions. Meanwhile, the zincophilic nature of ISNF can largely reduce the nucleation energy barrier and promote the ion-diffusion transportation. Consequently, the ISNF@CNTs@Zn electrode exhibits a low-voltage hysteresis and a superior cycling life (over 1500 h), with dendrite-free Zn-plating behaviors in a typical symmetrical cell test. Additionally, the superior feature of ISNF@CNTs@Zn anode is further demonstrated by Zn-MnO₂ cells in both coin and flexible quasi-solid-state configurations. This work puts forward an inspired remedy for advanced Zn-ion batteries.

Keywords

2D/3D configuration / dendrite-free / inorganic–organic layer / interfacial protection / Zn-ion batteries

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