Constructing fast-ion-conductive disordered interphase for high-performance zinc-ion and zinc-iodine batteries

The issues of Zn dendrite and severe Zn2+ transport destabilization in the electrode/electrolyte interface have been the main obstacles to the commercialization of aqueous Zn-based batteries. Here, a disordered zinc silicate (ZSO) artificial solid electrolyte interphase with high Zn2+ conductivity (9.29 mS·cm−1) is proposed to address these dilemmas. The disordered ZSO interphase possesses sufficient tunnels for fast Zn2+ transport and highly reversible Zn plating/stripping, which can redistribute the Zn2+ flux and guide uniform Zn deposition to achieve a dendrite-free Zn metal anode. As a proof of concept in zinc-ion batteries, the Zn@ZSO//NH4V4O10 battery delivers a capacity of 336.8 mAh·g−1 at 0.2 A·g−1, with a capacity retention of 90.1% at 5 A·g−1 over 1,000 cycles. As for the Zn@ZSO//I2 battery, by inhibiting I3− diffusion, 97.98% of capacity is retained after shelving for 60 h. This work provides enlightenment into interface designing and iodide diffusion suppression to accelerate the commercialization of high-performance zinc-based batteries.