Surface-tuned two-dimension MXene scaffold for highly reversible zinc metal anode

Abstract Zinc metal has aroused increasing interest as anode material of Zn-based batteries for their energy storage application. However, the uneven Zn stripping/plating processes induce severe dendrite growth, leading to low Coulombic efficiency and safety hazards. Herein, a surface-tuned two-dimensional (2D) MXene Ti3C2Tx scaffold as a robust skeleton is developed to facilitate the uniform Zn stripping/plating. The Ti3C2Tx with high electrical conductivity and unique structure provides fast ionic-transport paths, promising even Zn2+ stripping/plating processes. With suppressed Zn dendrite growth and uniform nucleation, the proposed 2D Ti3C2Tx scaffold for Zn metal anode delivers a low voltage hysteresis of 63 mV and long lifespan over 280 h. This surface-tuned engineering strategy demonstrates the potential application of Zn anode with MXene skeleton for next-generation Zn-based batteries.