Grain Boundary Filling Empowers (002)-Textured Zn Metal Anodes with Superior Stability

Aqueous Zn battery is promising for grid-level energy storage due to its high safety and low cost, but dendrite growth and side reactions at the Zn metal anode hinder its development. Designing Zn with (002) orientation improves the stability of the Zn anode, yet grain boundaries remain susceptible to corrosion and dendrite growth. Addressing these intergranular issues is crucial for enhancing the electrochemical performance of (002)-textured Zn. Here, a strategy based on grain boundary wetting to fill intergranular regions and mitigate these issues is reported. By systematically investigating boundary fillers and filling conditions, In metal is chosen as the filler, and one-step annealing is used to synergistically convert commercial Zn foils into single (002)-textured Zn while filling In into the boundaries. The inter-crystalline-modified (002)-textured Zn (IM(002) Zn) effectively inhibits corrosion and dendrite growth, resulting in excellent stability in batteries. This work offers new insights into Zn anode protection and the development of high-energy Zn batteries.