Anti-corrosive and carbonyl-rich interlayer enables highly reversible zinc anode

Aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs) are considered as highly promising candidates for large-scale energy storage due to their exceptional safety profile, environmental sustainability, and cost-effectiveness. However, the progress of AZIBs is impeded by several challenges including the formation of zinc dendrites, self-corrosion issues, and hydrogen evolution. Herein, we demonstrate the in-situ fabrication of a hydrophobic and carbonyl-rich zinc phthalate (ZCHO) solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer on the zinc foil through a facile liquid deposition method. The incorporation of carbonyls into the ZCHO layer enhances ion migration dynamics by attracting Zn2+, while also promoting preferential deposition onto the (002) surface, effectively mitigating water-induced corrosion and hydrogen evolution, likewise reducing charge transfer resistance. These inherent advantages contribute to a homogeneous distribution of Zn2+ concentration on the zinc anode surface, thereby suppressing dendrite growth. The results demonstrate that the symmetric battery exhibits an impressive cycle life of over 2300 h under a current density of 1 mA cm−2, with an areal capacity of 0.5 mAh cm−2. Additionally, it demonstrates stable cycling for more than 700 h at 5 mA cm−2, 0.25 mAh cm−2. Furthermore, when assembled with NH4V4O10, the full battery delivers a specific capacity of 222.9 mAh g−1 after undergoing 1000 cycles under a current density of 5 A g−1 while maintaining a capacity retention rate of 86.26 %. This study presents a novel and facile approach to advance research on high-performance AZIBs.