A Sieve-Functional and Uniform-Porous Kaolin Layer toward Stable Zinc Metal Anode

Zinc metal is considered as one of the best anode choices for rechargeable aqueous Zn-based batteries due to its high specific capacity, abundance, and safety. However, dendrite and corrosion issues remain a challenge for this system. Herein, sieve-element function (selective channel of Zn2+) and uniform-pore distribution (approximate to 3.0 nm) of a kaolin-coated Zn anode (KL-Zn) is proposed to alleviate these problems. Based on the artificial Zn metal/electrolyte interface, the KL-Zn anode not only ensures dendrite-free deposition and long-time stability (800 h at 1.1 mA h cm(-2)), but also retards side reactions. As a consequence, KL-Zn/MnO2 batteries can deliver high specific capacity and good capacity retention as well as a reasonably well-preserved morphology (KL-Zn) after 600 cycles at 0.5 A g(-1). This work provides a deep step toward high-performance rechargeable Zn-based battery system.