Revealing the origin of dendritic deposition regulated solid electrolyte interphase enabled by cation receptor in Zn-ion batteries

Aqueous Zn-metal batteries open up promising prospects for large-scale energy storage due to the advantages of ample components, cost-effectiveness, and safety features. However, the notorious dendritic development and unavoidable hydrogen evolution reaction of Zn have grown to be one of the main barriers inhibiting its further commercialization. Despite substantial studies, the mechanism of nucleation and deposition of Zn²⁺ ions on zinc layer surfaces remains elusive. Here, inspired by additive, the SnCl₂ additive is introduced to initiate the in-situ formation of the ZnS-rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer on the Zn anode, which creates a protective “shielding effect” that hinders direct contact between water and the zinc surface, suppressing the random growth of Zn dendrites in the whole process. The mechanism of Zn nucleation was revealed by employing high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, consecutive electron diffraction coupled with finite element method (FEM) simulations. Moreover, spontaneously formed 3D architecture consists of micorsized hemispherical Sn particles not only suppresses the Zn dendrite growth by reducing the local current density, but also enables the lateral growth of Zn crystals by increasing the average surface energy. Such an electrolyte enables a long cycle life of over 2000 h in the Zn||Zn cell. Importantly, the assembled Zn||MnVO full cells with SnCl₂ electrolyte also delivers substantial capacity (171.1mA h g⁻¹ at 1 A h g⁻¹), presenting a promising application. These discoveries not only deepen the comprehension of fundamental scientific knowledge regarding the microscopic reaction mechanism of the Zn anode but also offer significant insights for optimizing performance.