Rapid oxidative etching-induced active interfaces for constructing dense Ag-modified zinc anodes

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) are viewed as competitive candidates for high-energy-density storage. However, the performance of AZIBs is impeded by dendrite growth and side reactions on the zinc anode surface. Herein, a facile in situ galvanic replacement strategy assisted by ammonium persulfate (APS)-assisted surface etching is proposed to construct a zincophilic Ag-modified interface on Zn metal, enabling dynamic regulation of Zn 2+ nucleation and deposition behavior. As a result, the Zn@Ag anode exhibits a significantly reduced Zn 2+ nucleation energy barrier (from 47.2 to 31.2 kJ mol −1 ), enabling uniform and dense Zn deposition while effectively suppressing dendrite formation and interfacial side reactions. Meanwhile, COMSOL simulations based on the finite element method verified the key role of the Ag-modified interface in suppressing dendrite formation and mitigating interfacial corrosion. At current densities of 1 mAh cm −2 , a symmetric cell with the Zn@Ag interfacial layer as the anode achieved a cycle life of 1757 h (39 times that of bare Zn). Moreover, the Zn@Ag || V 2 O 5 full cell has a cycle stability of over 2800 cycles. This method provides a new strategy for the design of anodes in AZIBs.