Construction of a multifunctional Ti <sub>3</sub> C <sub>2</sub> T <sub> <i>x</i> </sub> MXene/g‐C <sub>3</sub> N <sub>4</sub> artificial protective layer for dendrite‐free aqueous Zn‐ion batteries
Weiwei Wang, Rui Huang, Yu Tao, Peng He, Suxing Tuo, Yujian Bian, Ruiting Hu, Jun Yan, Yanjie Liang, Wenchao Zhang
Abstract
Abstract The electrochemical utilization of Zn anodes in aqueous batteries is hampered by the intricate and interconnected issues of Zn dendrite growth, H 2 evolution and Zn corrosion reactions. In this study, a multifunctional protective layer comprising MXene and graphitic carbon nitride (g‐C 3 N 4 ) was constructed using a self‐assembly strategy. The MXene/g‐C 3 N 4 protective layer exhibited robust zincophilic characteristics, which facilitated a uniform distribution of the electric field and ensured a sufficient influx of Zn 2+ . This reduces the Zn 2+ nucleation barrier and prevents dendrite growth. In addition, the hydrophobic nature of the protective layer, coupled with its negative charge, can repel SO 4 2− and select water molecules from the electrolyte, which aids in mitigating corrosion and H 2 evolution. The symmetric Zn cell coated with the MXene/g‐C 3 N 4 protective layer showed remarkable stability, achieving over 2000 h of reversible cycling at 1 mA·cm −2 . Furthermore, the MXene/g‐C 3 N 4 ‐coated Zn anode paired with a sodium‐doped V 2 O 5 cathode (NVO) exhibited enhanced cycling capability over 1500 cycles.