Vacancy‐Driven Mesoporous CeO <sub>2</sub> ‐Based Protective Coatings with Tailored Structure‐Morphology for Stable Zn Metal Anodes
Mohammad Tabish, Yang Chen, Anuj Kumar, Muhammad Mubeen, Zipeng Jiang, Noor Muhammad, Liewen Guo, Xiaohong Chen, Jingmao Zhao, Ghulam Yasin, Lei Qin, Huaihe Song
Abstract
Abstract Aqueous zinc ion batteries (ZIBs) are poised to become a scalable and safe energy storage technology based on their high theoretical capacity, small redox potential of Zn 2+ /Zn, and nonflammable electrolytes. However, its practical application is hampered by such problems as dendrite formation and zinc corrosion. This study presents a novel approach to enhancing ZIB performance by employing a mesoporous hollow cerium oxide (CeO 2 ) coating on the zinc anode. The high surface area and porous framework of the CeO 2 significantly mitigate dendrite growth, improve electrolyte wettability, and provide structural stability. Electrochemical analyses reveal improved zinc plating/stripping reversibility behavior, reduced charge transfer resistance, and enhanced long‐term cyclic stability, with over 1400 h of stable operation at 2 mA cm ‒2 and a depth of discharge of 1 mAh cm ‒2 (DOD: 1.7%). Moreover, a high coulombic efficiency of 97.49% for 400 cycles is achieved with a reduced nucleation overpotential of 107.7 mV. Density functional theory calculations further demonstrate the electronic and structural benefits of the vacancy‐driven CeO 2 coating, including reduced nucleation overpotential and improved charge distribution. These findings demonstrate the possibility of using CeO 2 ‐coated zinc anodes in ZIB technology to develop safer and more efficient energy storage systems.