Recent Advances in Interfacial Engineering for High-Performance Zn Anodes: Challenges, Solutions, and Prospects

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) are promising candidates for large grid-scale electrochemical energy storage due to their high safety, cost-effectiveness, and ecological sustainability. Nevertheless, the commercialization of AZIBs is severely impeded by the negative effects of Zn metal anodes, such as sluggish kinetics, dendrite growth, and side reactions. Various interfacial engineering strategies, especially artificial interfacial layers (AILs), have recently gained popularity to boost the Zn anode. This mini-review specializes in cutting-edge frontier AIL design for dendrite-free Zn anode, encompassing the interfacial materials, preparation methods, mechanism investigations, and electrochemical performances in tackling the challenges mentioned above. Finally, the challenges and future development of AILs in AIBs are proposed. This review is expected to deepen the understanding of the interfacial electrochemistry of Zn anode and promote their practical application in the future.