Synergistic Cooperation of Zn(002) Texture and Amorphous Zinc Phosphate for Dendrite-Free Zn Anodes

Znanodes of aqueous Zn metal batteries face challenges from dendritegrowth and side reactions. Building Zn(002) texture mitigates theissues but does not eradicate them. Zn(002) still faces severe challengesfrom corrosive electrolytes and dendrite growth, especially afterhundreds of cycles. Therefore, it is necessary to have a passivationlayer covering Zn(002). Here, Zn(002) texture and surface coatingare achieved on Zn foils by an one-step annealing process, as demonstratedby ZnS, ZnSe, ZnF2, Zn-3(PO4)(2) (ZPO), etc. Using ZPO as a model, the coupling between surfacecoating and Zn(002) is illustrated in terms of dendrite-suppressingability and diffusion energy barrier of Zn2+. The modifiedZn foils (Zn(002)@ZPO) exhibit the excellent electrochemical performance,far superior to Zn(002) or ZPO alone. In the full cells, the performanceis greatly improved even under harsh conditions, i.e., high arealcapacity and limited Zn resource. This work achieves crystal engineeringand surface coating on Zn anodes simultaneously and discloses thein-depth insights about the synergy of crystal orientation and passivationlayers.

Automated summary

Researchers have achieved Zn(002) texture and surface coating on zinc foils through a one-step annealing process, effectively reducing side reactions and dendrite growth in zinc metal batteries and improving electrochemical performance.