MXene‐Reinforced Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Protective Layer Enables Dendrite‐Free and Ultra‐Durable Zinc Metal Anodes

Abstract

Abstract Zn metal is considered a promising anode for aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs) owing to its high capacity and cost‐effectiveness. However, dendrite growth, corrosion, and hydrogen evolution occurring on the Zn surface pose significant challenges to achieving stable and reliable AZIBs. Herein, a robust organic–inorganic protective layer, comprising organic zinc alginate (ZA) and inorganic Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene, is fabricated on the Zn anode surface via a simple blade‐coating approach. The organic ZA and inorganic MXene synergistically complement each other, with ZA playing a crucial role in inhibiting hydrogen evolution and enhancing electrolyte affinity, while the MXene mitigates severe side reactions, enables uniform Zn 2+ deposition, and accelerates electron/ion transfer. Consequently, the ZA/MXene layer (MXZA) facilitates the Zn anode to exhibit remarkable reversibility and stability during continuous Zn plating/stripping, achieving a long‐term lifespan of 2500 h at 2 mA cm −2 and 2 mAh cm −2 , and 360 h even at 50 mA cm −2 and 50 mAh cm −2 in symmetric cells. When configurated with a sodium vanadate (NVO) cathode, the MXZA@Zn||NVO full cell operates stably with a high‐capacity retention of 98.4% over 1000 cycles. This work provides a new perspective on developing efficient surface/interface modifications with synergistic effects toward high‐performance zinc metal anodes.