Controllable CF₄ Plasma In Situ Modification Strategy Enables Durable Zinc Metal Anode

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Zinc metal is an ideal anode for aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) due to its high specific capacity and low redox potential.
• However, uneven zinc deposition leads to dendrite formation, limiting ZIBs' service life and development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address zinc dendrite issues in ZIBs by modifying the zinc anode interface.
• To investigate the effect of in situ formed zinc fluoride (ZnF2) on zinc deposition morphology and battery performance.

Main Methods:

• Utilized CF4 plasma technology for in situ modification of the zinc anode.
• Formed uniform nanoscale ZnF2 particles on the zinc surface.
• Evaluated the electrochemical performance of the modified Zn anode (Zn@ZnF2-5) in ZIBs and a full battery configuration (Zn@ZnF2-5|I2@AC).

Main Results:

• The Zn@ZnF2-5 anode demonstrated a low nucleation overpotential (16 mV) and extended cycle life (2500 h at 1 mA cm-2).
• The modified anode exhibited excellent stability under high current density (20 mA cm-2) and high discharge depth (16%).
• The Zn@ZnF2-5|I2@AC full battery achieved remarkable cycle stability over 1000 cycles.

Conclusions:

• CF4 plasma in situ modification effectively regulates ion and electron distribution at the anode interface, guiding uniform zinc deposition and suppressing dendrite growth.
• The ZnF2 coating enhances ionic conductivity and regulates electronic conductivity, leading to improved battery performance.
• This novel plasma modification strategy offers a promising approach for developing stable and high-performance aqueous zinc-ion batteries.