Carbon‐based shielding of zinc anodes for high‐performance zinc‐ion batteries

Abstract The practical deployment of aqueous zinc‐ion batteries remains limited by issues related to the zinc anode, including dendrite formation, hydrogen evolution, corrosion, passivation, and other side reactions that compromise battery performance, stability, and lifespan. To address these challenges, carbon‐based materials have been extensively studied for their ability to stabilize Zn anodes. This review presents a detailed overview of the latest advancements in carbon‐based protection layers designed to prevent dendrite formation in zinc‐ion batteries. It covers a range of materials, including conventional carbons, fiber‐like carbons, carbon nanotubes, graphene, MOF‐derived carbon layers, carbon composites, natural biopolymers, graphdiyne, and 0D carbon materials. This review also highlights recent progress in using these materials to suppress dendrite growth and reduce the formation of unwanted by‐products on zinc electrodes. Additionally, this review offers perspectives on future research directions aimed at further enhancing the performance and reliability of carbon‐based protection strategies for zinc‐ion batteries.