Talc as Dynamic\nZincophilic Sites Enables Highly Reversible\nZinc Metal Anodes

Zinc\n(Zn) dendrite growth poses a significant challenge\nto the\nreversibility of zinc metal anodes (ZMAs). Traditional methods using\nfixed zincophilic sites often suffer from coverage issues and deactivation\nover time or under high areal capacities. To address this, we introduced\nTalc into a conventional ZnSO<sub>4</sub>-based electrolyte (BE +\nTalc), which acts as a dynamic zincophilic site. Talc effectively\nadsorbs and carries Zn<sup>2+</sup> in the electrolyte, facilitating\ntheir co-deposition at the anode. After deposition, Talc re-enters\nthe electrolyte, maintaining its functionality and counteracting the\ndeactivation of static zincophilic sites. This approach resulted in\na Zn–Zn symmetric cell using BE + Talc, achieving stable cycling\nfor 200 h under rigorous conditions of 10 mA cm<sup>–2</sup> and 5 mAh cm<sup>–2</sup>. Additionally, the Zn–Cu\nhalf-cell demonstrated over 1200 stable cycles at 5 mA cm<sup>–2</sup> and 1 mAh cm<sup>–2</sup>. The Zn–NH<sub>4</sub>V<sub>4</sub>O<sub>10</sub> full cell with Talc cycled for 200 cycles under\npractical conditions (4.5 mg cm<sup>–2</sup>, 10 μm \nZn foil, and N/P ratio of 3.4) achieved a capacity retention rate\nof 82.7%. This study highlights the drawbacks of conventional zincophilic\nsites and presents an effective solution for achieving highly reversible\nZMAs.