Self-healing composite anode induced by liquid-metal interlayer for flexible Zn ion storage application

Abstract

Aqueous zinc (Zn)-ion hybrid supercapacitor (ZHS) has emerged as an attractive energy storage technology for wearables on their advantages of high safety and low cost. However, Zn anodes seriously undermine the durability of ZHSs due to the influences caused by Zn dendrite growth and side reactions at the electrode-electrolyte interface. Herein, we attempt to resolve this issue by introducing Ga-based liquid metal (LM)-incorporated carbon cloth as a flexible anode current collector for Zn storage. The high fluidity and deformability of LM ensure a superior self-healing anode during repeated Zn plating/stripping processes. Additionally, the unique liquid-liquid interface between LM on electrode and electrolyte facilitates lattice dynamical property of the electrode. Consequently, ZHS devices with such self-healing electrode demonstrate enhanced cycling stability and C-rate performance. Our work suggests a novel strategy to use LM-based composite anode current collector for fabricating high-performance ZHSs, which potentially promotes the development of flexible electronics for future wearable applications.