Constructing a 3D Zinc Anode Exposing the Zn(002) Plane for Ultralong Life Zinc‐Ion Batteries

Abstract

The limited lifespan of aqueous Zn-ion batteries (ZIBs) is primarily attributed to the irreversible issues associated with the Zn anode, including dendrite growth, hydrogen evolution, and side reactions. Herein, a 3D Zn anode exposing Zn(002) crystal planes (3D-Zn(002) anode) is first constructed by an electrostripping method in KNO₃ solution. Experiments and theoretical calculations indicate that the priority adsorption of KNO₃ on Zn(100) and Zn(101) planes decreases the dissolution energy of Zn atoms, thereby exposing more Zn(002) planes. The 3D-Zn(002) anode effectively regulates ion flux to realize the uniform nucleation of Zn²⁺. Moreover, it can inhibit water-induced formation of side-products and hydrogen evolution reaction. Consequently, the 3D-Zn(002) symmetrical cell exhibits an exceptionally long lifespan surpassing 6000 h at 5.0 mA cm^-2 with a capacity of 1.0 mAh cm^-2, and enduring 8500 cycles at 30 mA cm^-2 with a capacity of 1.0 mAh cm^-2. Besides, when NH₄V₄O₁₀ is used as the cathode, the 3D-Zn(002)//NH₄V₄O₁₀ full cell shows stable cycling performance with a capacity retention rate of 75.7% after 4000 cycles at 5.0 A g^-1. This study proposes a feasible method employing a 3D-Zn(002) anode for enhancing the cycling durability of ZIBs.