Development of copper-coated zinc powder anodes for improved stability and cycle life in zinc-based batteries

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (Zinc-Ion Batteries, ZIBs) have received much attention in recent years due to their high safety, low cost, and environmental friendliness. However, the zinc negative electrode is prone to problems such as dendrite growth and corrosion during the cycling process, which seriously affects the stability and lifetime of the battery. To solve this problem, in this study, the surface modification of zinc powder was carried out using an in situ chemical copper plating method to improve the electrochemical performance of the zinc anode. Electrochemical tests showed that the copper-plated zinc powder negative electrode outperformed the uncoated zinc powder negative electrode in terms of cycling stability and electrochemical performance, exhibiting lower polarization voltage and longer cycle life. This study provides a feasible strategy for optimizing zinc anode and a new idea for further developing aqueous zinc ion batteries.