Achieving the dendrite-free zinc anode by constructing a Sn-C interfacial layer with zincophilic and conductive network

Under the basic national policy of sustainable green development, high-performance and low-cost energy storage devices are urgently needed for intermittent generation of clean energy and storage of electrical energy. Zn metal with high capacity, abundant reserves and excellent plasticity, but the inevitable side reactions of the Zn metal anode itself have severely limited the development of aqueous Zn ion batteries (AZIBs) in the market. In this study, an artificial protective layer of polymer-derived carbon material combined with Sn is prepared to inhibit hydrogen precipitation and corrosion and prolong the lifetime of AZIBs. With these advantages, the Zn@Sn@N doped carbon (Zn@CNS) symmetric cell could achieve a stable cycle life of 1000 h at 2 mA cm- 2 and low overpotential. The excellent stripping life of over 400 h is achieved in half-cells assembled with Cu foils. Furthermore, the alpha-MnO2//Zn@CNS full battery shows superior stability in rate capability and long-term capacity retention compared to the alpha-MnO2//Zn battery, indicating that the CNS coating provides excellent performance and practical value.