Regulating the local chemical environment of Zn powder surface by multi-site anchoring effect to achieve highly-stable Zn anode

Aqueous rechargeable zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) have attracted much attention due to high safety, fast charge/discharge rate, low cost and direct utilization of zinc metal anodes. Zn powder (Zn-P) -based anodes are considered as ideal candidates for Zn-based batteries owing to their positive synergistic integration of safety and energy density through the design of the N/P ratio. However, Zn-P anodes still experience easy corrosion, hydrogen evolution and uncontrolled dendrite growth, which restrict their further application. Herein, we rationally introduce a hydrophilic polymer with multiple hydrogen bond acceptor sites to Zn-P anode to prepare a novel poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) modified Zn powder (Zn-PD) anode. By anchoring water molecules through multiple hydrogen bonds, the solvation structure of Zn2+ is modulated, and the electrochemical activity of free water at the interface is reduced, which inhibits Zn corrosion and hydrogen evolution.