Dendrite suppression with zirconium (IV) based metal–organic frameworks modified glass microfiber separator for ultralong-life rechargeable zinc-ion batteries

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are increasingly employed in designing an active material for various battery systems due to the variety of structures, morphology, and controllable composition at a molecular level. Moreover, their high porosity enables a facile electrolyte penetration and ion transportation. In this work, we focus on the performance and life cycle of aqueous rechargeable zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) using zirconium (IV) based MOFs, including UiO-66 and MOF-808 modified glass microfiber separators. The results demonstrated that the symmetrical cell using MOF-808 modified separator extended a relatively stable voltage plateau of symmetric Zn battery over 350 h owing to improved uniformity of Zn ion flux during striping/plating processes. For the capacity retention at the current density of 1.0 A g−1, the ZIBs using [email protected] and [email protected] exhibited higher specific capacities than that using the pristine separator. In addition, the ZIBs with MOF-808 modified separators could prolong the cycle life to as high as 8000 cycles because the modified separators could inhibit non-uniform dendritic zinc growth on a zinc anode surface according to scanning electron micrographs. Hence, the UiO-66 and MOF-808 modified glass microfibers as separators are promising materials for high-performance aqueous zinc-ion batteries with long-life cycles.