High-Performance Aqueous Zinc-Ion Battery Based on Laser-Induced Graphene

Abstract

Zn-ion batteries (ZIBs) have a broad application prospect because of their advantages of high power, large capacity, and high energy density. However, the development of high-capacity, long-lifespan ZIBs is challenging because of the faster dendrite growth and the occurrence of the hydrogen evolution reaction. Laser-induced graphene (LIG) is a material with many defects and heteroatoms. Because of these characteristics, it plays an important role in improving nucleation. A simple and effective method for preparing LIG was proposed in this paper, and the LIG was covered on the surface of Zn foil to form a composite structure. This structure substantially reduces the nucleation overpotential of Zn and slows down the dendrite growth of Zn by improving the nucleation behavior of Zn2+. Simultaneously, the three-dimensional porous structure increases the specific surface area of the electrode, so the battery has a larger specific capacity. Compared with the bare Zn electrode, the composite electrode possesses lower overpotential and longer cycle life. In addition, the full battery using activated carbon as the active material exhibits great rate and cycle performance. This facile and scalable approach may solve the problem of Zn dendrite growth, which is crucial for the large-scale application of ZIBs.