Dendrite-free and anticorrosion Zn anode induced by the robust CeF3 interfacial layer

Abstract

Side reactions (Zn corrosion and hydrogen evolution reactions) and uncontrollable Zn dendrites at the Zn/electrolyte interface significantly reduce the lifetime of Zn anodes, thereby limiting the practical application of aqueous Zn-based energy storage devices. Here, the robust CeF3 interfacial phase with excellent corrosion resistance was in situ constructed on the surface of Zn anode. This CeF3 interfacial phase can inhibit harmful side reactions and optimize the Zn deposition behavior, thereby enhancing the cycling stability of the Zn anode. Compared with the pure Zn electrode, the CeF3-Zn electrode demonstrated excellent corrosion resistance within a wide temperature range (25–55 °C), which can be attributed to the inherent structural stability of the CeF3 phase. Furthermore, the CeF3 interfacial phase exhibited excellent Zn2+ conductivity owing to its unique fluorine sites, which result in uniform and dense Zn deposits. Therefore, the anticorrosion, dendrite-free CeF3-Zn anode without by-product accumulation was obtained. Ultimately, the CeF3-Zn electrode exhibited outstanding cycling stability (maintaining a polarization potential below 50 mV after 3600 cycles in symmetric cells at a current density of 2 mA cm−2) and great promise for practical application (having a capacity retention rate of 60% after 3000 cycles in CeF3-Zn//AC zinc-ion capacitors at a current density of 1000 mA g−1).