Stable Interlayer Zinc Plating/Stripping in the Maxwell–Wagner Effect-Enhanced Interface

Zinc metal batteries have recently emerged as a promising stable and reversible anode aqueous battery. However, due to the serious dendrite problem and hydrogen evolution problem of the zinc metal anode, the practical application of the zinc metal battery is limited. Here, we propose Y₂O₃ as an effective coating, which inhibits hydrogen evolution and side reactions by physical isolation and simultaneously prevents dendrite growth by ensuring a uniform Zn-ion flux and fast transport channels generated by Maxwell-Wagner polarization, thus improving the stability of batteries. Meanwhile, in situ/ex situ characterizations and different simulations are conducted to investigate in detail the effect of Maxwell-Wagner polarization on the performance of Zn metal batteries. The symmetric Y₂O₃@Zn anode system exhibits a stable electroplating/stripping performance over 780 h and enables the Zn battery to achieve a Coulombic efficiency of up to 99.81% over 1000 cycles by reducing side reactions. The Y₂O₃@Zn||MnO₂ full cell delivers a high energy density of 301.42 Wh kg^-1 at a power density of 205.04 W kg^-1. The work provides insights into the reversibility and stability of zinc anodes and provides a promising way to promote the practical application of Zn metal batteries.