Bimetallic Cladding-Constructed Interfacial Microenvironment Enabled Highly Reversible Powder Anode for Zn Metal...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Unstable interfaces in zinc powder anodes hinder long-life aqueous zinc metal batteries (AZMBs).
• Existing metal composite strategies often show a mismatch between Zn²⁺ diffusion and electron transfer.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a bimetallic cladding strategy for zinc powder anodes to improve AZMB performance.
• To address the mismatch in ion and electron transport at the anode interface.

Main Methods:

• Proposed a bimetallic cladding strategy with a specific displacement sequence.
• Investigated the role of Sn and Cu in compensating for anion adsorption and inhibiting side reactions.
• Utilized in situ constructed SnO₂ voids to accommodate Zn²⁺ and facilitate diffusion.

Main Results:

• The Zn@SC anode demonstrated over 2800 hours of cycle stability in Zn||Zn cells.
• Achieved an areal capacity of 2 mAh cm^-2 in Zn||NH₄V₄O₁₀ cells with 70% retention after 1000 cycles.
• A pouch cell with a high mass-loaded cathode showed satisfactory cycle stability.

Conclusions:

• The bimetallic cladding strategy effectively matches electron and ion transport behaviors.
• Optimizing the interfacial microenvironment is crucial for enhancing electrochemical performance.
• This work offers a valuable direction for developing multi-metal zinc powder anodes.