Secondary aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) are considered as one of the promising energy storage devices, but their widespread application is limited by the Zn dendrite issues. In this work, we propose a rational design of surface protective coatings to solve this problem. Specifically, a silver (Ag) nanoparticle embedded amorphous AlN matrix (AlN/Ag) protective layer is developed. The former would alloy in situ with Zn to form AgZn3 alloy sites, which subsequently induce the Zn deposition with preferred (002) facets. The latter can effectively alleviate the structural expansion during repeated Zn plating/stripping. Consequently, the delicately designed AlN/Ag@Zn anode delivers an enhanced stability with a long lifespan of more than 2600 h at 1 mA cm-2 and 1 mAh cm-2. Moreover, the AlN/Ag@Zn||Mn1.4V10O24·nH2O full batteries can be operated for over 8000 cycles under 5 A g-1. Our work not only suggests a promising Zn anode protective coating but also provides a general strategy for the rational design of surface protective layers for metal anodes.
Keywords: Zn dendrite growth; amorphous matrix and zincophilic sites; aqueous Zn-ion batteries; in situ alloying; preferential Zn (002) deposition.