Interfacial Design of Dendrite‐Free Zinc Anodes for Aqueous Zinc‐Ion Batteries

• Published in: Angewandte Chemie International Edition Vol. 59; no. 32; pp. 13180 - 13191
• Main Authors: Zhang, Qi, Luan, Jingyi, Tang, Yougen, Ji, Xiaobo, Wang, Haiyan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 03.08.2020
• Edition: International ed. in English
• Subjects: Anodes; coulombic efficiency; Dendrites; Dendritic structure; Design; Electric fields; Energy storage; interface design; Ion distribution; Life span; Nucleation; Safety research; Storage batteries; Storage systems; Zinc; zinc anodes; zinc dendrites; zinc-ion batteries; zinc dendrites; zinc-ion batteries; zinc anodes; coulombic efficiency; interface design
• ISSN: 1433-7851; 1521-3773; 1521-3773
• DOI: 10.1002/anie.202000162

Aqueous zinc‐ion batteries have rapidly developed recently as promising energy storage devices in large‐scale energy storage systems owing to their low cost and high safety. Research on suppressing zinc dendrite growth has meanwhile attracted widespread attention to improve the lifespan and reversibility of batteries. Herein, design methods for dendrite‐free zinc anodes and their internal mechanisms are reviewed from the perspective of optimizing the host–zinc interface and the zinc–electrolyte interface. Furthermore, a design strategy is proposed to homogenize zinc deposition by regulating the interfacial electric field and ion distribution during zinc nucleation and growth. This Minireview can offer potential directions for the rational design of dendrite‐free zinc anodes employed in aqueous zinc‐ion batteries. Electrons and ions: Aqueous zinc‐ion batteries are promising candidates for the next‐generation energy storage system. This Minireview summarizes the recent developments in the modification of the host–zinc and the zinc–electrolyte interfaces. Design strategies to fabricate dendrite‐free zinc anodes by optimizing the interfacial electron and ion distribution are discussed.