Lithium-ion batteries have emerged as the predominant energy storage systems today, finding applications across a wide spectrum, from automobiles to personal gadgets, owing to their high energy density and lightweight properties. However, concerns regarding their availability, cost-effectiveness, and safety have led to a demand for cost-effective and safer alternatives in certain applications, such as mini-grid and off-grid energy storage. Alternatively, aqueous zinc-ion batteries stand out as alternative energy storage systems with excellent safety, cycling life, straightforward manufacturing, and acceptable storage capability. inc-ion batteries have attracted growing research interest due to their advantages: i) zinc-ion batteries can be manufactured in an open environment without the necessity for an inert environment, reducing the cost parity compared to air-sensitive batteries. ii) The Zn anode exhibits higher capacities (820 mAh/g and 5855 mAh/cm3) and can be operated in inexpensive aqueous electrolytes (e.g., ZnSO4). iii) The higher reserves (79 ppm) and reasonably lower costs (0.5–1.5 $/lb) of Zn make it more attractive than Li. These key features make Zinc-ion batteries especially attractive for residential and commercial energy storage that satisfies most of the criteria required for stationary mini-grid scale and off-grid storage systems. Moreover, they can be an alternative for mini-stationary backup or storage systems from renewable energy sources, including wind energy and solar energy storage.

While Zn metal serves as an optimal choice for the anode of zinc-ion batteries, it encounters a significant challenge in the form of dendrite growth due to the presence of aqueous electrolytes. This issue leads to undesirable side reactions, including the growth of Zn dendrites, the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), passivation, and corrosion, ultimately resulting in diminished capacity over prolonged cycling periods. To tackle the problems of dendrite growth and HER, We apply artificial surface coatings on Zn anodes, as the application of artificial coatings onto the Zn surface offers a direct and practical solution that can be implemented on an industrial scale. By creating a physical barrier between the electrolyte and the Zn electrode, these coatings effectively reduce the likelihood of direct contact, thereby minimizing the occurrence of HER.