Langmuir-Blodgett Scoping (LBS) microarchitectonics: Zn dendrite-inhibiting tactics controlled by parallelly aligned MXene film under self-traction for zinc storage

Zinc dendrites have a serious impact on the long-cycle performance of zinc storage equipment. Seeking efficient dendrite-inhibiting techniques for zinc anode is a pressing matter and research hotspot. Here, a metal protection strategy is reported, where the Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene film is uniformly coated on zinc anode (MXene@Zn) in parallel alignment under self-traction by an in-situ Langmuir Blodgett Scooping method (LBS). The close contact of the conductive MXene film with the zinc surface facilitates the regulation of zinc stripping/plating to achieve uniform zinc deposition. Meanwhile, the Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene with robust mechanical strength and superior flexibility can suppress the crisscross growth of zinc dendrites. The MXene@Zn electrode shows satisfying dendrite-free morphology and ultralong cycle stability with 1000 h (3 mA cm −2 /0.5 mAh cm −2 ) and 500 h (3 mA cm −2 /0.5 mAh cm −2 ). In addition, according to its additive-free and spontaneous formation of Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene protective structure, the zinc ion batteries have a high-capacity retention of 98.3 %, and the zinc ion capacitors can persist for long periods of 20,000 times stably. This result provides a valid strategy for suppressing zinc dendrites to upgrade the cycling capability of zinc storage.