Dual Porous 3D Zinc Anodes toward Dendrite-Free and Long Cycle Life Zinc-Ion Batteries

Rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) have been proven to be an alternative energy storage system because of their high safety, low cost, and eco-friendliness. However, the poor stability of metallic Zn anodes suffering from uncontrolled dendrite formation and electrochemical corrosion has brought troublesome hindrances for their practical application. In this work, we report a dual porous Zn-3D@600 anode prepared by coating a Zn@C protective layer on a 3D zinc skeleton. The Zn-3D@600 anode exhibits a highly stable and low polarization voltage during the Zn plating/stripping process and possesses a smooth and dendrite-free interface after long-term cycling. Moreover, the assembled Zn-3D@600 cell shows excellent cycle stability and superlative rate performance, delivering a discharge capacity of 198.8 mAh g^-1 after 1000 cycles at 1 A g^-1. Such excellent electrochemical performance can be credited to the Zn@C protective layer regulating uniform Zn nucleation and the 3D zinc skeleton accommodating Zn deposition at a high current density.