MXene-Reinforced Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Protective Layer Enables Dendrite-Free and Ultra-Durable Zinc Metal Anodes

Abstract

Zn metal is considered a promising anode for aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs) owing to its high capacity and cost-effectiveness. However, dendrite growth, corrosion, and hydrogen evolution occurring on the Zn surface pose significant challenges to achieving stable and reliable AZIBs. Herein, a robust organic–inorganic protective layer, comprising organic zinc alginate (ZA) and inorganic Ti3C2Tx MXene, is fabricated on the Zn anode surface via a simple blade-coating approach. The organic ZA and inorganic MXene synergistically complement each other, with ZA playing a crucial role in inhibiting hydrogen evolution and enhancing electrolyte affinity, while the MXene mitigates severe side reactions, enables uniform Zn2+ deposition, and accelerates electron/ion transfer. Consequently, the ZA/MXene layer (MXZA) facilitates the Zn anode to exhibit remarkable reversibility and stability during continuous Zn plating/stripping, achieving a long-term lifespan of 2500 h at 2 mA cm−2 and 2 mAh cm−2, and 360 h even at 50 mA cm−2 and 50 mAh cm−2 in symmetric cells. When configurated with a sodium vanadate (NVO) cathode, the MXZA@Zn||NVO full cell operates stably with a high-capacity retention of 98.4% over 1000 cycles. This work provides a new perspective on developing efficient surface/interface modifications with synergistic effects toward high-performance zinc metal anodes.