Reviving Zn0 Dendrites to Electroactive Zn2+ by Mesoporous MXene with Active Edge Sites

Zinc metal-based aqueous batteries (ZABs) offer a sustainable, affordable, and safe energy storage alternative to lithium, yet inevitable dendrite formation impedes their wide use, especially under long-term and high-rate cycles. How the battery can survive after dendrite formation remains an open question. Here, we pivot from conventional Zn dendrite growth suppression strategies, introducing proactive dendrite-digesting chemistry via a mesoporous Ti3C2 MXene (MesoTi(3)C(2))-wrapped polypropylene separator. Spectroscopic characterizations and electrochemical evaluation demonstrate that MesoTi(3)C(2), acting as an oxidant, can revive the formed dead Zn-0 dendrites into electroactive Zn2+ ions through a spontaneous redox process. Density functional theory reveals that the abundant edge-Ti-O sites in our MesoTi(3)C(2) facilitate high oxidizability and electron transfer from Zn-0 dendrites compared to their in-plane counterparts. The resultant asymmetrical cell demonstrates remarkable ultralong cycle life of 2200 h at a practical current of 5 mA cm(-2) with a low overpotential (<50 mV). The study reveals the unexpected edge effect of mesoporous MXenes and uncovers a new proactive dendrite-digesting chemistry to survive ZABs, albeit with inevitable dendrite formation.

Automated summary

Zinc metal-based aqueous batteries (ZABs) provide a sustainable and safe energy storage alternative to lithium batteries. However, dendrite formation hinders their wide use. In this study, a mesoporous MXene material is introduced to actively digest dendrites, allowing the battery to continue functioning with a long cycle life and low overpotential.