Vacancy-Driven Mesoporous CeO2-Based Protective Coatings with Tailored Structure-Morphology for Stable Zn Metal
Mohammad Tabish1, Yang Chen1, Anuj Kumar2
1State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Electrochemical Process and Technology for Materials, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|June 20, 2025
Summary
Researchers developed a mesoporous hollow cerium oxide (CeO2) coating for zinc anodes in aqueous zinc ion batteries (ZIBs). This CeO2 coating effectively suppresses dendrite growth and corrosion, enhancing ZIB safety and stability.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Energy Storage
Background:
- Aqueous zinc ion batteries (ZIBs) offer scalable and safe energy storage due to high capacity and nonflammable electrolytes.
- Challenges include zinc dendrite formation and anode corrosion, hindering practical application.
Purpose of the Study:
- To enhance the performance and stability of zinc anodes in ZIBs.
- To investigate the efficacy of a mesoporous hollow cerium oxide (CeO2) coating for zinc anodes.
Main Methods:
- Coating zinc anodes with mesoporous hollow CeO2.
- Electrochemical analysis including plating/stripping, cyclic voltammetry, and impedance spectroscopy.
- Density functional theory (DFT) calculations.
Main Results:
- CeO2 coating significantly mitigated dendrite growth and improved electrolyte wettability.
- Enhanced zinc plating/stripping reversibility and reduced charge transfer resistance.
- Achieved over 1400 hours of stable operation, 97.49% coulombic efficiency over 400 cycles, and reduced nucleation overpotential (107.7 mV).
Conclusions:
- Mesoporous hollow CeO2 coating effectively stabilizes zinc anodes in ZIBs.
- The coating enhances electrochemical performance and long-term cyclability.
- CeO2-coated zinc anodes show promise for developing safer and more efficient ZIBs.
