Constructing a 3D Zinc Anode Exposing the Zn(002) Plane for Ultralong Life Zinc-Ion Batteries.

Abstract

The limited lifespan of aqueous Zn-ion batteries (ZIBs) is primarily attributed to the irreversible issues associated with the Zn anode, including dendrite growth, hydrogen evolution, and side reactions. Herein, a 3D Zn anode exposing Zn(002) crystal planes (3D-Zn(002) anode) is first constructed by an electrostripping method in KNO3 solution. Experiments and theoretical calculations indicate that the priority adsorption of KNO3 on Zn(100) and Zn(101) planes decreases the dissolution energy of Zn atoms, thereby exposing more Zn(002) planes. The 3D-Zn(002) anode effectively regulates ion flux to realize the uniform nucleation of Zn2+. Moreover, it can inhibit water-induced formation of side-products and hydrogen evolution reaction. Consequently, the 3D-Zn(002) symmetrical cell exhibits an exceptionally long lifespan surpassing 6000h at 5.0mA cm-2 with a capacity of 1.0 mAh cm-2, and enduring 8500 cycles at 30mA cm-2 with a capacity of 1.0 mAh cm-2. Besides, when NH4V4O10 is used as the cathode, the 3D-Zn(002)//NH4V4O10 full cell shows stable cycling performance with a capacity retention rate of 75.7% after 4000 cycles at 5.0 A g-1. This study proposes a feasible method employing a 3D-Zn(002) anode for enhancing the cycling durability of ZIBs.