Feather-Effect-Inspired Superhydrophobic and Zincophilic Strategy for Ultrastable Zn Metal Anodes

Abstract

Conventional artificial interface coatings can address the dendrite growth in aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) by homogenizing the Zn²⁺ 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//V₂O₅ 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.