Regulated Zn Plating and Stripping by a Multifunctional Polymer-Alloy Interphase Layer for Stable Zn Metal Anode

Metallic zinc electrode with a high theoretical capacity of 820 mAh g(-1) is highly considered as a promising candidate for next-generation rechargeable batteries. However, the unavoidable hydrogen evolution, uncontrolled dendrite growth, and severe passivation reaction badly hinder its practical implementations. Herein, a robust polymer-alloy artificial protective layer is designed to realize dendrite-free Zn metal anode by the integration of zincophilic SnSb nanoparticles with Nafion. In comparison to the bare Zn electrode, the Nafion-SnSb coated Zn (NFSS@Zn) electrode exhibits lower nucleation energy barrier, more uniform electric field distribution and stronger anti-corrosion capability, thus availably suppressing the Zn dendrite growth and interfacial side reactions. As a consequence, the NFSS@Zn electrode exhibits a long cycle life over 1500 h at 1 mA cm(-2) with an ultra-low voltage hysteresis (25 mV). Meanwhile, when paired with a MnO2 cathode, the as-prepared full cell also demonstrates stable performance for 1000 cycles at 3 A g(-1). This work provides an inspired approach to boost the performance of Zn anodes.