An anti-corrosive cellulose nanocrystal/carbon nanotube derived Zn anode interface for dendrite-free aqueous Zn-ion batteries

Abstract

Notorious zinc dendrite growth and hydrogen precipitation reactions disrupt the galvanic/stripping process at the electrolyte/electrode interface, which seriously affects the cycling stability of zinc anodes in aqueous zinc ion batteries. To improve the stability and reversibility of zinc anodes, we report an artificial SEI consisting of hydrophobic carbon nanocrystals and highly conductive carbon nanotube networks. This interfacial hydrophobicity effectively excludes free water from the surface of the zinc anode, which prevents water erosion and reduces the interfacial side reactions, resulting in a significant improvement in the cycling stability and coulombic efficiency of Zn plating/stripping. Benefiting from the reversible proton storage and fast desolvation kinetic behavior of the CNC/CNT interlayer, the stable cycling time of Zn/Zn symmetric batteries exceeds 700 h even at a high current density of 5 mA cm⁻². The assembled CNC/CNT@Zn‖V₂O₅ full cell maintains a high capacity of 101.1 mA h g⁻¹ after 5000 cycles (1.0 mA g⁻¹). This study opens up a new area for expanding the use of organic compounds in zinc anode protection and offers a promising strategy for accelerating the development of aqueous zinc-ion batteries.