Surface Laser Texturing and Alloying: Front-End Design Optimization of Zinc Metal Anode for Dendrite-Free Deposition

Abstract

A critical barrier to commercializing aqueous Zn-metal batteries lies in the dual challenges of dendritic Zn growth and parasitic side reactions at the anode/electrolyte interface. Here, this study presents a front-end design optimization strategy for Zn metal anodes (ZMAs), combining surface laser texturing with alloying treatment to stabilize the interfacial chemistry. Specifically, laser texturing creates a geometrically ordered microstructure on the Zn surface, while subsequent chemical permeation induces the in situ transformation of this microstructured layer into a CuZn₅ alloy, forming the LT-Zn@CuZn₅ anode. The geometrically ordered alloy coating homogenizes the electronic filed distribution across the zinc surface and enhances corrosion resistance. Thereby, the LT-Zn@CuZn₅ anode demonstrated optimized electrochemical reversibility, sustaining over 3000 cycles at 3 mA cm^-2/1 mAh cm^-2. This performance translates into a high improvement in the cycling behavior of the assembled Zn||I₂ soft pack battery, which acquired an initial capacity of 225.8 mAh g^-1 and retained 79.1% after 4000 cycles. In contrast, the counterpart employing untreated Zn foil started with a lower initial capacity of 180.7 mAh g^-1 and failed after less than 478 cycles. The demonstrated effective approach improves the front-end design strategy of ZMAs and contributes to the development of dendrite-free ZMAs.