Phosphorous‐Doping Strategy Enabled “Concrete‐Slab”‐Like Zn Layer for Highly Stable 3D Composite Anode

Abstract

Zinc electroplating/stripping is a promising electrochemical reaction for aqueous battery anodes, offering advantages such as high safety, low cost, and fast reaction kinetics. However, the growth of zinc dendrites is a major obstacle impeding its commercialization. To address these challenges, a phosphorus‐doping strategy is proposed for preparing a high Zn‐affinity C3N4 coupled carbon nanotube 3D framework (PCN‐S). The addition of P facilitates the efficient crystallization of Zn that leads to the formation of a “concrete‐slab”‐like zinc layer on the PCN‐S surface. Moreover, the unique “release effect” possessed by the P‐doped 3D framework contributes to more stable cycling at high current. Such structural characteristics result in significantly enhanced stability of Zn metal deposition and extend the cycle life of full cells. The Zn@PCN‐S//Zn@PCN‐S symmetric cell exhibits an impressive long‐term cycle time exceeding 1500 h (1 mA cm‒2). Consequently, aqueous rechargeable zinc‐metal batteries constructed with the 3D Zn@PCN‐S anode can achieve a specific energy of approximately ≈340 mAh g‒1 and cycling for over 600 h. This work introduces a promising option for next‐generation energy storage technologies.

Insights into the cycling stability of manganese-based zinc-ion batteries: from energy storage mechanisms to capacity fluctuation and optimization strategies

“…18 Given the ongoing controversy regarding the primary causes of battery failure, there is a lack of robust methods to enhance the cycling stability of manganese-based ZIBs, particularly at a low current. Besides the crucial challenges encountered by Zn anodes such as dendrite growth, passivation, corrosion and hydrogen evolution, 106–108 on the cathode side, issues such as Mn dissolution, dramatic volume changes, and the irreversible consumption of Mn 2+ lead to the generation of electrochemically inactive materials, which can result in severe performance degradation and even battery failure. 109–111 Furthermore, the phenomenon of capacity activation, which commonly occurs during the initial cycles, has received limited attention from researchers.…”

Trifunctional Rb+-Intercalation Enhancing the Electrochemical Cyclability of Ammonium Vanadate Cathode for Aqueous Zinc Ion Batteries

“…Rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) have become potential candidates in large-scale power storage systems because of their high safety, low cost, environmental friendliness, and simple manufacture. On the way toward wide application of AZIBs, one of the key challenges is the development of promising electrode materials with high capacity, long cycle life, and excellent rate capability. − Among various cathode materials (e.g., manganese oxide, vanadium oxide, Prussian blue analogues, and polyoxometalate clusters), vanadium­(V)-based oxides have attracted extensive attention, whose multistep redox reaction of V 3+ → V 5+ can facilitate Zn 2+ storage during the electrochemical process. However, their practical applications are hindered by some intractable issues such as sluggish Zn 2+ diffusion kinetics, dramatic microstructural degradation, low capacity retention, and unsatisfactory lifespan.…”