Micronanostructured Design of Dendrite‐Free Zinc Anodes and Their Applications in Aqueous Zinc‐Based Rechargeable Batteries

Abstract

Aqueous zinc‐based rechargeable batteries are considered to be one of the most promising new energy storage systems due to their unique advantages (e.g., low cost, high safety, environmental friendliness, and high energy density). However, the formation of zinc dendrites at the anode during the operation can puncture the separator and even cause short circuit of batteries, which is one of the serious problems in Zn‐based batteries. Therefore, understanding the growth process of dendrites and suppressing the formation of zinc dendrites are necessary for the further development and large‐scale applications of Zn‐based batteries. Herein, the growth mechanism and the influence factors of zinc dendrites are first introduced in detail by combining the experimental and theoretical results. Moreover, the effective strategies for suppressing dendrites through micronanostructured design are summarized, including surface modification, alloying, and substrate selection/porous structure engineering. In the end, the challenges in the further development of high‐performance dendrite‐free zinc anode are discussed, and the research frontiers trends are prospected as well. It is aimed to shed light on the rational design and structure tuning of high‐performance zinc electrode materials for advanced zinc‐based secondary batteries for clean energy storage technologies.

MOF-based ionic sieve interphase for regulated Zn2+ flux toward dendrite-free aqueous zinc-ion batteries

“…50 Consequently, the deposition of Zn 2+ on these protuberances was preferred due to the unevenly distributed electric eld at the tip locations, resulting in the gradual growth of dendrites and the eventual penetration of the separator. 51,52 3.4 Cycling stability of the symmetric and full cells with the coated Zn anodes…”

Encapsulation of Metallic Zn in a Hybrid MXene/Graphene Aerogel as a Stable Zn Anode for Foldable Zn‐Ion Batteries

“…[15] In particular, at high current densities, structure modification is more likely to harvest superior performance. [16] The 3D structure increases the substrate's specific surface area, lowering local current density and preventing the formation of Zn dendrites. In addition, the 3D host could control the transfer of Zn ions and maintain the battery's dimensional stability.…”

Air Electrodes for Flexible and Rechargeable Zn−Air Batteries

“…The other two essential components for flexible ZABs are anode (Zn electrode) and solid‐state electrolyte (polymer electrolyte), which significantly affect the performance of batteries. [ 17 ] Generally, the metal anode is polished zinc plate/foil or zinc wire. [ 18 ] In addition, it could be prepared by electrodepositing Zn nanoparticles (NPs) on flexible carbon cloth (CC) or carbon nanotube (CNT) film (Zn/CC).…”