A Sieve‐Functional and Uniform‐Porous Kaolin Layer toward Stable Zinc Metal Anode

Abstract Zinc metal is considered as one of the best anode choices for rechargeable aqueous Zn‐based batteries due to its high specific capacity, abundance, and safety. However, dendrite and corrosion issues remain a challenge for this system. Herein, sieve‐element function (selective channel of Zn 2+ ) and uniform‐pore distribution (≈3.0 nm) of a kaolin‐coated Zn anode (KL‐Zn) is proposed to alleviate these problems. Based on the artificial Zn metal/electrolyte interface, the KL‐Zn anode not only ensures dendrite‐free deposition and long‐time stability (800 h at 1.1 mA h cm −2 ), but also retards side reactions. As a consequence, KL‐Zn/MnO 2 batteries can deliver high specific capacity and good capacity retention as well as a reasonably well‐preserved morphology (KL‐Zn) after 600 cycles at 0.5 A g −1 . This work provides a deep step toward high‐performance rechargeable Zn‐based battery system.