Artificial Solid-Electrolyte Interface Facilitating Dendrite-Free Zinc Metal Anodes via Nanowetting Effect

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Dendrite formation on zinc (Zn) anodes hinders the practical application of aqueous batteries.
• Poor wetting of the Zn anode by aqueous electrolytes exacerbates interface instability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer an artificial composite protective layer to reconstruct the Zn/electrolyte interface.
• To improve the wetting effect and regulate electrolyte flux on the Zn anode.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a composite protective layer using nanosized metal-organic frameworks (MOFs).
• Characterization of the Zn/electrolyte interface and electrochemical performance.
• Evaluation of Zn plating/stripping cycling and Zn/MnO2 battery performance.

Main Results:

• The MOF-based layer significantly improved the wetting of the Zn anode.
• A stable, zincophilic interface with reduced charge-transfer resistance was achieved.
• Dendrite-free Zn plating/stripping was sustained for over 500 cycles.
• Reduced overpotentials were observed in Zn/MnO2 batteries, especially at higher C-rates.

Conclusions:

• The proposed artificial composite layer effectively reconstructs the metal anode interface.
• This approach offers a viable strategy for stable aqueous batteries by overcoming SEI limitations.