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Interface engineering of Zn meal anodes using electrochemically inert Al2O3 protective nanocoatings

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Abstract

Aqueous rechargeable Zn-ion batteries are regarded as a promising alternative to lithium-ion batteries owing to their high energy density, low cost, and high safety. However, their commercialization is severely restricted by the Zn dendrite formation and side reactions. Herein, we propose that these issues can be minimized by modifying the interfacial properties through introducing electrochemically inert Al2O3 nanocoatings on Zn meal anodes (Al2O3@Zn). The Al2O3 nanocoatings can effectively suppress both the dendrite growth and side reactions. As a result, the Al2O3@Zn symmetric cells show excellent electrochemical performance with a long lifespan of more than 4,000 h at 1 mA·cm−2 and 1 mAh·cm−2. Meanwhile, the assembled Al2O3@Zn//V2O5 full cells can deliver a high capacity (236.2 mAh·g−1) and long lifespan with a capacity retention of 76.11% after 1,000 cycles at 4 A·g−1.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 51601163, 22001081, and 22075236), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2017YFE0198100), the Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province (No. 2021J011211), Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Science and Technology (No. 3502Z20206070), and Xiamen University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China

    Rui Wang, Qiongfei Wu, Minjie Wu, Jiaxian Zheng, Zhoucheng Wang & Hanfeng Liang

  2. Key Laboratory of Functional Materials and Applications of Fujian Province, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Xiamen University of Technology, Xiamen, 361024, China

    Jian Cui, Zhengbing Qi & JiDong Ma

  3. Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Thermal Ageing, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China

    Qi Kang

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  1. Rui Wang
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  2. Qiongfei Wu
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  3. Minjie Wu
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  4. Jiaxian Zheng
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Correspondence to Qi Kang, Zhengbing Qi or Hanfeng Liang.

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Wang, R., Wu, Q., Wu, M. et al. Interface engineering of Zn meal anodes using electrochemically inert Al2O3 protective nanocoatings. Nano Res. 15, 7227–7233 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-022-4477-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-022-4477-1

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