Non-uniform zinc plating/stripping in aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) often leads to dendrites formation and low Coulombic efficiency (CE), limiting their large-scale application. In this study, a pre-corroded Zn (PC-Zn) anode with 3D ridge-like structure is constructed by a facile solution etching in sodium hypophosphite (NaH2PO2) solution. The surface preparation process can significantly remove impurities from the passivation layer of bare Zn anode, thus exposing a great quantity of active sites for easy plating/stripping. Moreover, the pre-corroded structure enables a uniform-distributed electric field to promote the 3D Zn2+ diffusion process and accelerate the transfer kinetics, thereby suppressing the zinc dendrites and interfacial side reactions. Consequently, symmetric cells with PC-Zn electrodes demonstrate remarkable stability, maintaining cycles for over 3200 h under 1 mA cm-2. The PC-Zn/VO2 full cell maintains a specific capacity of 361 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1, and a capacity retention rate of ≈80% over 1000 cycles at 4 A g-1. Notably, no obvious dendrites and side reactions are detected after extended cycling. Leveraging the cost-effectiveness, environmentally friendly nature, and easy fabrication of the PC-Zn electrode, this Zn protection strategy holds promise for advancing the industrial application of ZIBs.
Keywords: Zinc‐ion batteries; Zn anode; dendrites; pre‐corroded; transfer kinetics.
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