Sealing ZnO nanorods for deeply rechargeable high-energy aqueous battery anodes

The ZnO@TiNxOy nanorod anode was synthesized by two steps: hydrothermal growth of ZnO nanorods on the carbon paper followed by an atomic layer deposition. The conformal TiNxOy coating mitigates Zn dissolution, mechanically maintains the shape of zinc anode, and delivers electron to ZnO nanorods. This zinc anode shows excellent electrochemical performance in alkaline electrolyte.210