Feather-Effect-Inspired Superhydrophobic and Zincophilic Strategy for Ultrastable Zn Metal Anodes
Chenyi Cao, Hongyu Lu, Zheng Yang, Yunsong Li, Yuxiao Lin, Jijie Luo, Sijie Xiao, Jialin Yang, Jingxin Zhao, Xiangli Zhong, Xiaoping Ouyang, Xing‐Long Wu, Jinbin Wang
Abstract
Conventional artificial interface coatings can address the dendrite growth in aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) by homogenizing the Zn 2+ flux, but the coatings may still fail due to corrosion by free water molecules. Herein, inspired by the hydrophobic architecture of waterfowl feathers, a dual-functional hexadecanethiol (HDT)-Ag@Zn anode with zincophilic and superhydrophobic characteristics was successfully constructed. A feather-like Ag structure is in situ grown on a zinc substrate via a replacement reaction, and an HDT monolayer can be assembled through molecular self-organization. This cross-scale architecture synergistically optimizes zinc deposition kinetics and suppresses interfacial side reactions. The symmetric battery assembled with an HDT-Ag@Zn anode cycles stably for over 2600 h at 1 mA cm –2 for 1 mAh cm –2 . The HDT-Ag@Zn//V 2 O 5 full cell delivers a remarkable capacity retention of 92.2% after 3500 cycles at 5 A g –1 . This work provides new insights into resolving critical bottlenecks in AZIBs through bioinspired interface design, promoting practical application in next-generation energy storage systems.