Graphite Paper Anode with Low Lattice Mismatch Enables Corrosion Inhibited Zinc Batteries

Abstract

Severe corrosion of zinc metal anodes remains a major obstacle to the practical application of aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs). In contrast to conventional complex surface modification strategies, this work employs commercial graphite paper (GP) as a universal anode with corrosion resistance and zinc deposition capability. Owing to GP’s inherent excellent chemical stability, low lattice mismatch (δ≈7%) with the Zn(002) plane, and enhanced hydrophilicity after plasma treatment, the GP anode enables uniform zinc deposition/dissolution and significantly suppresses corrosion, dendrite growth, and side reactions in acidic ZnCl2 electrolyte. Half-cell tests demonstrate an ultra-long cycle life exceeding 1500 hours at 5 mA·cm-2 and 5 mAh·cm-2 with an average Coulombic efficiency (CE) as high as 99.2%. The assembled zinc-iodine battery realizes stable cycling for over 10,000 times at 5 mA·cm-2. Notably, as an inexpensive and readily available commercial material, GP features a simple preparation process without complex synthesis or modification steps, significantly reducing production costs and demonstrating great potential for large-scale applications. Based on this, a large-sized pouch battery was successfully assembled, which operated stably for over 1100 cycles and could effectively power commercial electronic devices. This work provides a novel, low-cost, high-throughput, and industrialization-friendly pathway to developing long-lifespan aqueous zinc batteries.