Homogeneous\nDeposition of Zinc on N‑Doped Carbon\nFibers Interconnected with Sn Nanoparticles for Advanced Aqueous Zinc\nBatteries

Currently,\n inhomogeneous distribution of Zn<sup>2+</sup> on the\nsurface of the Zn anode is still the essential reason for dendrite\nformation and unsatisfactory stability of zinc ion batteries. Given\nthe merits of strong interaction between Sn and Zn, as well as a low\nnucleation barrier during Zn deposition, the combination of metallic\nSn with carbon material is expected to improve the deposition of zinc\nions and inhibit the growth of zinc dendrites by guiding the homogeneous\nplating/stripping of zinc on the electrode surface. In this article,\nzincophilic Sn nanoparticles with low nucleation barriers and strong\ninteraction with Zn<sup>2+</sup> were embedded into 3D N-doped carbon\nnanofibers using a simple electrostatic spinning technique. Accordingly,\nwhen serving as an artificial coating layer for the zinc metal anode,\nan ultrastable Sn@NCNFs@Zn||Sn@NCNFs@Zn symmetric cell can be achieved\nfor over 3500 h with a low nucleation overpotential of 29.1 mV. Significantly,\nthe full cell device assembled with the as-prepared anode and MnO<sub>2</sub> cathode exhibits desirable electrochemical behaviors. Moreover,\nthis simple method could be extended to other metal–carbon\ncomposites, and to ensure ease in scaling up as required. Such significant\napproach can provide an effective strategy for the design of high-performance\nzinc anodes.