Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks as Zn²⁺ Modulation Layers to Enable Dendrite-Free Zn Anodes

Zinc (Zn) holds great promise as a desirable anode material for next-generation rechargeable batteries. However, the uncontrollable dendrite growth and low coulombic efficiency of the Zn plating/stripping process severely impede further practical applications of Zn-based batteries. Here, these roadblocks are removed by using in situ grown zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) as the ion modulation layer to tune the diffusion behavior of Zn²⁺ ions on Zn anodes. The well-ordered nanochannels and N species of ZIF-8 can effectively homogenize Zn²⁺ flux distribution and modulate the plating/stripping rate, ensuring uniform Zn deposition without dendrite growth. The Zn corrosion and hydrogen evolution are also alleviated by the insulating nature of ZIF-8, resulting in high coulombic efficiency. Therefore, the Zn@ZIF anode shows highly reversible, dendrite-free Zn plating/stripping behavior under a broad range of current densities, and a symmetric cell using this anode can work correctly up to 1200 h with a low polarization at 2 mA cm^-2. Moreover, this ultrastable Zn@ZIF anode also enables a full Zn ion battery with outstanding cyclic stability (10 000 cycles).