Atomic Sn sites on nitrogen-doped carbon as a zincophilic and hydrophobic protection layer for stable Zn anodes

Abstract

A 3D coating of atomic zincophilic Sn sites anchored on NC supports on Zn anodes are designed to simultaneously guide Zn nucleation, boost Zn2+ diffusion, regulate electric field distribution, inhibit dendrite growth, and prevent side reactions.

Three-dimensional Ordered Macroporous Flexible Electrode Design toward High-Performance Zinc-Ion Batteries

“…As for the deep cycling at 10 mA cm –2 and 5 mAh cm –2 , the 3DOM Sn@Zn electrode can also outperform the control samples (Figure j) and survive for around 200 h. We further analyze the ex situ XRD results of 3DOM Sn@Zn, 2D Sn@Zn, and Zn after cycling at 1 mA cm –2 and 1 mAh cm –2 to analyze the product profiles during cycling. From Figure k, a small amount of byproducts, including β-Zn­(OH) 2 (PDF #20-1435) and Zn 4 SO 4 (OH) 6 ·4H 2 O (PDF #39-0689), emerges at all three electrodes, indicating that the performance decay can be induced by byproduct formation . In conclusion, the 3DOM structure at anodes ensures a uniform electric field distribution at the inner surface of the hemispherical pits, guides an oriented plating/stripping of Zn, so as to relieve electrode protrusion and dendrite growth, and extends the cycling lifespan of anodes.…”

“…From Figure 2k, a small amount of byproducts, including β-Zn(OH) 2 (PDF #20-1435) and Zn 4 SO 4 (OH) 6 •4H 2 O (PDF #39-0689), emerges at all three electrodes, indicating that the performance decay can be induced by byproduct formation. 20 In conclusion, the 3DOM structure at anodes ensures a uniform electric field distribution at the inner surface of the hemispherical pits, guides an oriented plating/stripping of Zn, so as to relieve electrode protrusion and dendrite growth, and extends the cycling lifespan of anodes. Meanwhile, rich Sn sites in Sn@Zn anodes deliver faster reaction kinetics, lower the reaction polarization, and boost the Zn nucleation at the solid/liquid interface, leading to a significantly lowered overpotential at multiple current densities.…”

“…Furthermore, the weak cohesion between the host and Zn under electrode deformation for flexible batteries is also a potential risk for inhomogeneous compositions . Therefore, constructing a 3D zincophilic Zn-based anode with high flexibility is ideal in flexible ZIBs, solving the dendrite problems and regulating the electric field distribution at the same time. , As for the cathode, the stability of the electrodes can also be rationally improved by proper design of the electrode surface to lift the capacity and operation life of the batteries . Therefore, constructing a battery device with 3D structured electrodes at both the cathode and the anode is a step forward in the development of high-performance flexible ZIBs.…”

Rationally designed carbon-encapsulated manganese selenide composites from metal–organic frameworks for stable aqueous Zn–Mn batteries

“…They are poised to emerge as viable alternatives to commercial lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in applications such as large-scale energy storage and 3C electronics. Recent advancements in AZIBs primarily target two key challenges: (1) mitigating issues like zinc dendrite formation, corrosion, and other side reactions at the anode, 3–8 and (2) identifying a suitable cathode material to serve as the primary carrier for zinc ions. 9–12 Among the various cathode materials explored for AZIBs, manganese-based compounds emerge as promising contenders due to their high potential (approximately 1.8 V), substantial theoretical capacity ( e.g.…”

Constructing 3D Zincophilic Skeleton in Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Hybrid Fibers for Dendrite-Free Zn Anodes

“…Thus, they are considered to be promising electrochemical energy storage systems (EES) for a wide variety of electronics. − However, the applications of ZIBs are greatly restricted by the low Coulombic efficiency (CEs) and limited life span of ZMAs. Both defects come from the uncontrollable Zn dendrites and detrimental side reactions such as hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), byproduct formation, etc . − To overcome these obstacles, modifying strategies have been explored, such as the formation of a three-dimensional porous host, − designing functional interfacial layers, − building compatible electrolytes, etc . Among them, the construction of a porous and conductive skeleton has attracted considerable interest.…”