In-situ constructing polyacrylamide interphase enables dendrite-free zinc anode in aqueous batteries

Zinc metal featuring intrinsic safety, low cost, and high volumetric capacity is an attractive anode material in aqueous batteries. However, the practical application of Zinc-based batteries is seriously impeded by the uneven stripping/plating of zinc ions as well as low coulombic efficiency due to the side reaction at the electrode-electrolyte interface. Herein, polyacrylamide interphase is constructed via in-situ polymerization of acrylamide additive, which can constrain freely lateral diffusion of zinc ions and suppress parasitic reactions, endowing zinc anode with homogeneous nucleation and high coulombic efficiency. With this method, a stable metal-electrolyte interface can be formed and a prolonged lifespan of more than 680 h at 1 mA cm−2 for 1 mA h cm−2 can be obtained.