An ion redistributor enabled by cost-effective weighing paper interlayer for dendrite free aqueous zinc-ion battery

When we talk about the anode of aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs), inevitably, it comes up with zinc dendrites, side reactions, and the resulting poor electrochemical performances. Herein, a Zn2+ redistributor is constructed by inserting commercial weighing paper (WP) between the zinc anode and separator as an interlayer to eliminate dendrites. The large water-locking ability of WP assists in terminating side reactions, while plenteous functional -O groups contribute to adsorb Zn2+ and simultaneously facilitate their desolvation process. Consequently, the WP-covered electrode exhibits highly reversible plating/stripping behavior with longevity life over 2400 h and 800 h at the current densities of 1 and 9 mA cm-2, respectively. Intriguingly, even in the case of lean electrolyte (30 mu L) and cost-effective separators (commercial filter papers), the battery with WP sustains over 2000 h. This cost-effective and high-performing interlayer engineering is considered to shed light on the practical application of AZIBs.

Automated summary

This study proposes a solution to the issues of zinc dendrites and side reactions in aqueous zinc ion batteries by constructing a Zn2+ redistributor using weighing paper as an interlayer. The weighing paper exhibits a high water-locking ability to terminate side reactions and contains functional -O groups that can adsorb and facilitate the desolvation process of Zn2+. The electrode covered with weighing paper shows a highly reversible plating/stripping behavior with a long lifespan, even with lean electrolyte and cost-effective separators. This cost-effective and high-performing interlayer engineering holds great potential for practical applications of aqueous zinc ion batteries.