Stabilizing zinc anode using zeolite imidazole framework functionalized separator for durable aqueous zinc‐ion batteries

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) hold great promise as a viable alternative to lithium-ion batteries owing to their high energy density and environmental friendliness. However, AZIBs are consistently plagued by the formation of zinc dendrites and concurrent side reactions, which significantly diminish their overall service life. In this study, the glass fiber separator (GF) is modified using zeolite imidazole salt framework-8 (ZIF-8), enabling the development of efficient AZIBs. ZIF-8, which is abundant in nitrogen content, efficiently regulates the desolvation of [Zn(H2O)6]2+ to inhibit hydrogen production. Moreover, it possesses abundant nanochannels that facilitate the uniform deposition of Zn2+ via a localized action, thereby hindering the formation of dendrites. The insulating properties of ZIF-8 help prevent Zn2+ and water from trapping electron reduction at the layer surface, which reduces corrosion of the zinc anode. Consequently, ZIF-8-GF achieves the even transport of Zn2+ and regulates the homogeneous deposition along the Zn (002) crystal surface, thus significantly enhancing the electrochemical performance of the AZIBs. In particular, the Zn|Zn symmetric cell with the ZIF-8-GF separator delivers a stable cycle life at 0.5 mA cm−2 of 2300 h. The Zn|ZIF-8-GF|MnO2 cell exhibits reduced voltage polarization while maintaining a capacity retention rate (93.4%) after 1200 cycles at 1.2 A g−1 The unique design of the modified diaphragm provides a new approach to realizing high-performance AZIBs.