Polarity-Matched Organic–Inorganic Interphase Directs Planar Zinc Deposition toward Highly Reversible Zn Anodes
Artificial organic-inorganic interphases offer a promising route to suppress dendrite growth and parasitic reactions in aqueous Zn-ion batteries, yet maintain interfacial integrity and control Zn crystallographic deposition. Here, we develop a polarity-matched Nafion-Zn(Ac)<sub>2</sub> (NFCZn@Zn) interphase that self-assembles on Zn anodes. The acetate-rich Zn(Ac)<sub>2</sub> sublayer provides strong Zn<sup>2+</sup> binding and robust interaction with Nafion, preventing electrolyte-induced delamination. The hybrid interphase promotes planar zinc deposition while mitigating corrosion and byproduct formation. As a result, NFCZn@Zn symmetric cells achieve over 3000 h of stable cycling at 5 mA cm<sup>-2</sup>, withstand harsh conditions of 10 mA cm<sup>-2</sup> and 10 mAh cm<sup>-2</sup>, and deliver high Coulombic efficiency. In full cells paired with VO<sub>2</sub> cathodes, NFCZn@Zn enhances rate performance, reduces self-discharge, and improves long-term capacity retention compared with bare Zn anodes. This work provides a simple and scalable strategy to direct Zn<sup>2+</sup> planar (002) deposition, enabling highly reversible and durable Zn-metal anodes.
Authors
- Tuo Xiao
- Peihua Yang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0178-6896)
- Yazhou Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-9039-3516)
- Jin Cao
- Hang Lei
- Xincheng Zhou
- Lu Zhang
- Xuelin Yang
Institutions
- China Three Gorges University (CN)
- Wuhan University (CN)
- Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits (DE)
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nano Letters
- Published
- 2026-02-02
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.5c06203
- Primary Topic
- Advanced battery technologies research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00