Interface Regulation Coupled with Crystal Plane Engineering: Alloy deposition-Modified Zinc Anode Enabling Dual Inhibition of Dendrite Growth and Corrosion

Abstract

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) demonstrate irreplaceable application prospects in large-scale energy storage due to their inherent safety, low cost, and high theoretical capacity. However, issues such as dendritic disorderly growth, hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and corrosion of zinc anodes severely compromise electrode structural integrity, becoming a core bottleneck restricting the commercialization of AZIBs. To achieve efficient protection of zinc anodes, study employed room-temperature immersion deposition using metal nitrate as precursors to construct a Zn@M metallic deposited modification layer on zinc foil surfaces, forming an integrated physical barrier and chemically regulated protective system. The metallic modification layer provides comprehensive protection through multiple synergistic mechanisms: the conductive network co-constructed by homogenizes interfacial electric field distribution and Zn²⁺ ion flux, while their synergistic effect guides zinc deposition preferentially along thermodynamically stable (101) crystal planes, fundamentally suppressing dendritic growth. Additionally, this modification layer restructures Zn²⁺ solvation structures, reduces free water activity, and significantly inhibits side reactions such as HER and corrosion. This study proposes a simple, efficient, and cost-controlled bimetallic co-modification strategy for zinc anodes, elucidating an integrated protective mechanism of "electric field optimization-crystal plane orientation control-interfacial stabilization-side reaction inhibition", laying a critical foundation for the practical application of high-performance aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs).