Zn (002) texture engineering via a facile corrosion method for improved anode stability

Zn metal anode in aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) suffers from dendrite growth, hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and surface passivation, deteriorating battery performance and practicality. The structural engineering of anode with more exposed Zn (002) crystal planes (Zn (002) texture) is considered an effective strategy to achieve uniform and dendrite-free zinc deposition. Current approaches for fabricating Zn (002) texture primarily involve heat treatment, rolling, electrochemical etching, and deposition techniques; however, these methods are often associated with complex operational procedures or reliance on specialized equipment. In this study, a simple surface treatment was employed to treat Zn foil using a corrosion agent containing SeS, resulting in the successful fabrication of Zn C (corrosion-treated Zn foil) with a high proportion of Zn (002) as the anode material for AZIBs. Compared to bare Zn, the relative texture coefficient (RTC) of the Zn (002) in Zn C increased from 15.9 % to 30.4 %. The Zn C symmetric battery exhibited excellent cycling stability and could stably operate for up to 1600 h under a test condition of 5 mA cm −2 /1.25 mAh cm −2 , while the symmetric battery with untreated bare Zn could only stably operate for 84 h. The increase in the proportion of Zn (002) crystal planes significantly enhanced the corrosion resistance of Zn C and effectively suppressed the occurrence of the HER, thereby significantly improving the stability of the anode. In addition, the Zn-C||MnO₂ full battery outperformed the Zn||MnO₂ in terms of specific capacity and capacity retention after cycling. This study proposed a simple and efficient strategy to significantly enhance the stability of the zinc anode by regulating the surface crystal structure composition, providing a new technical path for promoting the practical application of AZIBs.