Aqueous rechargeable zinc-based batteries have recently gained tremendous attention because of their low cost and high safety. However, the issues associated with the zinc metal anode, including corrosion, H2 evolution, and dendrite growth, hinder their practical applications. Herein, we design a hybrid organic/inorganic interphase composed of poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene), silica, and zinc triflate to stabilize the zinc metal anode in a mild aqueous electrolyte. It is proven that the artificial interphase reduces corrosion of the Zn metal in the ZnSO4 electrolyte and suppresses dendrite growth by regulating Zn2+ deposition. Therefore, the lifespan of symmetrical cells with coated Zn could be enhanced to over 960 h with a stripping/plating capacity of 0.5 mAh cm-2. In addition, zinc-ion batteries including a sodium vanadate cathode and a coated Zn anode could achieve 3000 cycles with nearly no capacity fading at 5 A g-1.
Keywords: PVDF-HFP; interphase engineering; mild aqueous electrolyte; silica; sodium vanadate; zinc metal anode.