A Stable Triazole‐Based Covalent Gel for Long‐Term Cycling Zn Anode in Zinc‐Ion Batteries

Abstract

In this work, a functional covalent gel material is developed to resolve the severe dendritic growth and hydrogen evolution reaction toward Zn/electrolyte interface in aqueous zinc‐ion batteries (ZIBs). A covalent gel layer with superior durability forms homogeneously on the surface of Zn foil. The covalent gel with triazole functional groups can uniformize the transport of Zn²⁺ due to the interactions between Zn²⁺ ions and the triazole groups in the covalent gel. As a consequence, the symmetrical battery with triazole covalent gel maintains stable Zn plating/stripping for over 3000 h at 1 mA cm⁻² and 1 mAh cm⁻², and the full cell combined with a V₂O₅ cathode operates steadily and continuously for at least 1800 cycles at 5 A g⁻¹ with a capacity retention rate of 67.0%. This work provides a train of thought to develop stable covalent gels for the protection of zinc anode toward high‐performance ZIBs.