A Dynamic and Self-Adapting Interface Coating for Stable Zn-Metal Anodes

The zinc (Zn)-ion battery has attracted much attention due to its high safety and environmental protection. At present, the critical issues of the generation of dendrites and the accumulation of dead Zn on the surface will lead to a sharp decline of the battery life. Zn dendrites can be inhibited to some extent by constructing an interface protective coating. However, the existing rigid coating method cannot maintain conformal contact with Zn due to the volume change of Zn deposition and will cause fracture irreversibly during the cycle. Here, a highly self-adaptable poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)/TiO2-x coating is developed that can dynamically adapt to volume changes and inhibit dendrites growth. PDMS has high dynamic and self-adaptability due to the crosslinking of the B-O bond. In addition, the rapid and uniform transfer of Zn2+ is induced by the oxygen-vacancy-rich TiO2-x. The assembled cells still achieve 99.6% coulombic efficiency after 700 cycles at a current density of 10 mA cm(-2). The adaptive interface coating constructed provides a sufficient guarantee for the stable operation of the Zn anode.

Automated summary

The zinc-ion battery is gaining attention for its safety and environmental benefits, but dendrite formation and dead zinc accumulation can reduce battery life. A self-adaptable PDMS/TiO2-x coating has been developed to address these issues, inhibiting dendrite growth and maintaining stability during cycling. The cells achieved a high coulombic efficiency after 700 cycles, showcasing the effectiveness of the adaptive interface coating.