Efficient Zn Metal Anode Enabled by O,N-Codoped Carbon Microflowers

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Zinc metal anodes offer a promising, cost-effective solution for energy storage devices.
• Efficient zinc plating/stripping under high depth of discharge (DOD) remains a significant challenge for practical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize an efficient host material for high-DOD zinc metal anodes.
• To guide zinc nucleation and growth for enhanced plating/stripping performance.

Main Methods:

• Density functional theory (DFT) calculations guided the rational design of monomers.
• Polymer self-assembly and structure-preserved carbonization were employed to create a 3D hierarchical carbon superstructure (C_flower).
• Oxygen and nitrogen heteroatoms were incorporated as zincophilic dopants.

Main Results:

• The C_flower host facilitated heteroepitaxial nucleation, promoting horizontal zinc plating.
• High Coulombic efficiency (CE) and extended cycle life were achieved, even at high DOD.
• Paired with battery and supercapacitor cathodes, the C_flower-hosted anode demonstrated superior capacity, rate capability, and longevity.

Conclusions:

• The developed C_flower host effectively addresses challenges in zinc metal anode performance.
• This material enables highly efficient and stable zinc plating/stripping under high DOD.
• The C_flower host shows significant potential for practical, scalable, and efficient zinc-metal-based energy storage devices.