Rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) hold immense promise for large-scale energy storage owing to zinc's natural abundance, intrinsic safety, and high theoretical capacity (820 mAh g-1). Yet conventional AZIBs suffer from a critical paradox: excessive Zn loading is required to compensate for irreversible losses during stripping/plating, which accelerates electrolyte depletion, lowers Zn utilization, and severely degrades energy density. The root cause lies in the dual challenges of uncontrolled dendrite growth and parasitic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at the Zn anode surface. Existing polymer protective layers—while mechanically adaptable—typically rely on hydrophilic groups that form strong hydrogen bond (HB) networks with interfacial H2O. These networks inadvertently promote H⁺ transport via the "Grotthuss" mechanism, accelerating HER and limiting both cycling stability and Zn utilization. Conversely, excessively hydrophobic layers block water contact but hinder Zn2+
Polymer Layer Boosts Zinc Anode Efficiency
Shanghai Jiao Tong University Journal Center
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