Constructing 3D Zincophilic Skeleton in Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Hybrid Fibers for Dendrite-Free Zn Anodes

The Zn dendrite growth and side reactions are two major issues for the practical use of Zn metal anodes (ZMAs). Herein, an N-doped carbon-based hybrid fiber with the 3D porous skeleton and the zincophilic Cu nanoparticles (denoted as Cu@HLCF) is developed for stable ZMAs. The zincophilic Cu particles in the skeleton work as the active sites to facilitate uniform Zn nucleation. Meanwhile, the abundant pores in the framework of the hybrid fibers provide a large space to relieve the structural stress and suppress the dendrite growth. Moreover, the good mechanical characteristics of the hybrid fiber ensure its high potential applications for flexible electronics. Theoretical analysis results disclose the strong interaction between Zn and Cu sites, and experimental results demonstrate the low voltage hysteresis, high reversibility, and dendrite-free behavior of the Cu@HLCF host for Zn plating/stripping. Moreover, the solid-state Zn-ion battery (ZIB) assembled with a Cu@HLCF/Zn anode shows the prominent flexibility, impressively reliability, and outstanding cycling capability. Therefore, this work not only provides a novel design for the efficient and stable Zn metal anode but also promotes the development of flexible power sources for flexible electronics.