Towards reusable 3D-printed graphite framework for zinc anode in aqueous zinc battery

Aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs) are an increasingly popular high-safety and eco-friendly energy storage solution. However, the development of high-performance zinc (Zn) anodes remains a formidable challenge, primarily due to dendrite formation and poor reversibility. To address these challenges, this study harnesses the potential of digital light process (DLP) 3D printing technology to fabricate reduced graphite oxide-based 3D gyroid structure (3DP-rGG) as zinc anode frameworks for aqueous zinc batteries. The 3D-printed structure effectively regulates local current density distribution, offering ample nucleation sites and free space for inducing uniform zinc deposition and accommodating diminutive zinc nodules. Consequently, the 3D-printed graphite framework demonstrates remarkable reversibility in zinc plating and stripping processes, resulting in commendable coulombic efficiency and low voltage hysteresis. The full battery with a 3D-printed zinc anode, incorporating a polyaniline-intercalated vanadium oxide cathode (PVO), exhibits high specific capacity and superior long-term cycling stability. Remarkably, the robust 3DP-rGG structure can be reused over ten times without any discernible impact on its electrochemical performance, thereby underscoring the potential of this controllable and efficient fabrication of 3D graphite current collectors as a promising solution to develop reusable 3D frameworks for high-performance metal batteries.