Reusable Multifunctional Interlayer for Dendrite-Free and Ultrastable Zinc Anodes Via Regulating Zinc-Ion Transport and Inhibiting Hydrogen Evolution

The practical application of zinc anodes in aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) is hindered due to uncontrollable dendritic Zn deposition and side reactions. Herein, a reusable interlayer constructed from Sn nanoparticles-modified polyhydroxy semi-carbonized bacterial cellulose (Sn@PHCBC) with three-dimensional interconnected network structure is proposed to achieve sustainable and smooth regulation of zinc anode. The suppression of dendrites is primarily attributed to the uniform Zn ions flux constructed by reversible Sn-Zn alloy nanoparticles channel, as well as the targeted transport and rapid desolvation of hydrated zinc ions through hydroxyl groups of PHCBC. Additionally, the abundant high overpotential Sn nanoparticles anchored in Sn@PHCBC interlayer effectively inhibit the hydrogen evolution reaction and minimize the formation of byproducts. As a result, the Zn||Zn symmetrical cell assembled with Sn@PHCBC interlayer demonstrates highly reversible electroplating/stripping behavior with an extended lifespan of 800 h at high current densities of 10 mA cm−2 and 10 mAh cm−2. Besides, after 1000 cycles of MnO2||Sn@PHCBC//Zn full cell, the Sn@PHCBC interlayer can still be reused with nearly 100 % coulombic efficiency after simple treatment. The rational design in this work provides a feasible solution for high-performance ZIBs and promote the development of advanced energy storage devices reutilization.