A three-dimensional zincophilic nano-copper host enables dendrite-free and anode-free Zn batteries

Aqueous zinc (Zn) batteries have attracted significant attention for large-scale energy storage applications due to their advantages of high theoretical capacity, high-safety, and low-cost. However, the commercialization of Zn batteries is hindered by the low utilization and parasitic reactions of Zn anode. Herein, we design a three-dimensional nano-copper host modified by zincophilic antimony (Sb) nanoparticles (referred to as ZA@3D-nanoCu) for dendrite-free and anode-free Zn batteries. The ZA@3D-nanoCu offers adequate zincophilic sites with homogeneous Zn nucleation and uniform current density distribution for Zn plating/stripping. It is further revealed that the synergistic effect of 3D structures and zincophilic particles can induce uniform Zn deposition for highly reversible plating/stripping. The dendrite-free Zn plating/stripping on the ZA@3D-nanoCu substrate can stably cycle for over 1100 h at an areal capacity of 2 mAh cm−2 with nearly 100% Zn utilization, much superior to a planar Cu foil without any structural design. By coupling the ZA@3D-nanoCu anode with a bromine cathode, an anode-free Zn–Br2 battery can be cycled stably over 1000 cycles at a high areal capacity of 10 mAh cm−2. The anode-free ZA@3D-nanoCu host with remarkable advantages for stable Zn plating/stripping offers a new arena for large-scale energy storage applications of Zn batteries.