A three-tiered golf anode towards ultralong-life Zn−Mn aqueous batteries

Abstract

Zn−Mn aqueous batteries (ZMABs) are widely recognized as a promising candidate for large-scale energy storage due to their cost-effectiveness, high safety and environmental friendliness. However, the practical application of ZMABs is hindered by inherent electrical contact loss, hydrogen evolution and dendrite growth on traditional anodes. Here, a three-tiered golf anode with high conductivity is developed to simultaneously enhance the reversibility of Zn and Mn metals. The three-tiered golf anode is achieved by inner zinc powder, intermediate carbon and outer bismuth layer, which can effectively enhance the Gibbs free energy and mitigate the volume change of the anode, thus enabling stable Zn−Mn cycling. As a proof of concept, Zn−Mn full cells (coupled to CNT@MnO₂) achieve an ultralong cycle life with 94.6 % capacity retention at 2 A g⁻¹ after 16,000 cycles. This study presents valuable insights into the structural design of anodes aimed at enhancing the stability and durability of ZMABs.