Galvanically replaced artificial interfacial layer for highly reversible zinc metal anodes

Interface modification is considered as a straightforward strategy to regulate the electrochemical environment of metal anodes and to provide a physically protective interphase. Herein, we develop galvanically replaced artificial interfacial layers, where Sn, Sb, and Bi layers are uniformly grown on Zn anodes, for use in high-performance aqueous rechargeable zinc batteries. The corrosion and dendrite formation of Zn metal are inhibited by manipulating the uniform Zn deposition behavior and facile plating/stripping, as verified by electrochemical characterizations and postmortem, in situ optical, and computational analyses. Considering that the thickness, morphology, and crystallinity of the interfacial layers vary depending on their chemical identity, the Sn modified Zn anode (Zn|Sn) exhibits the optimum electrochemical performance owing to its highest Zn affinity and hierarchical structure. Consequently, symmetric cells with Zn|Sn anodes demonstrate stable plating/stripping over 2200 h at 1 mA cm⁻² and a long cycle life of 2000 h at a high current density of 4 mA cm⁻². In particular, the full cells by pairing Zn|Sn with β-MnO₂ deliver a high capacity of 92.8 mA h g⁻¹ even at a high current rate of 5000 mA g⁻¹, 73% capacity retention after 1000 cycles at 1000 mA g⁻¹, and improved cycle stability under low N/P ratio (<50) and high cathode mass loading (∼15.8 mg cm⁻²).