Surface modulation of zinc anodes by foveolate ZnTe nanoarrays for dendrite-free zinc ion batteries

Abstract

Zinc metal is widely considered as the primary option for constructing various aqueous batteries due to its cost-effectiveness, safety, and environmental friendliness. However, the Zn anode continues to be plagued by parasitic reactions and dendrite growth in aqueous electrolytes, limiting the practical implementation of zinc ion batteries (ZIBs) for large-scale energy storage. Herein, a foveolate ZnTe nanoarray is developed as a protective layer to enhance the chemical reversibility during Zn plating/stripping. The semi-conductive ZnTe with excellent ionic conductivity and hydrophobicity can effectually prevent the corrosion reactions, hydrogen generation and dendritic growth on the surface of the Zn anode. As a result, the Zn@ZnTe symmetrical cells achieve ultrahigh cycling stability (over 2800 h at 2 mA cm⁻² and 1 mA h cm⁻²) and simultaneously deliver a low voltage hysteresis of 28 mV. Additionally, the durable Zn@ZnTe//V₂O₅ cells exhibit a remarkable capacity retention of 96.7% after 3000 cycles, surpassing that of the Zn//V₂O₅ cells. This work provides a straightforward and low-cost strategy to regulate the interface chemistry of the Zn anode, which may open a way for the development of practical ZIBs.