Synergistic Stabilization of Zinc Anodes via Nafion-mSiO ₂ Composite Coatings for High-Performance Zinc-Ion Batteries

Zinc-ion batteries have abundant raw materials, low cost, and high safety, with broad application prospects. However, their practical application is severely hampered by persistent challenges, including dendrite growth on zinc anodes, corrosive parasitic reactions, and insufficient structural stability of cathodes. Herein, a hydroxyl-enriched mesoporous silica/perfluorosulfonic acid (Nafion−mSiO 2 ) organic−inorganic hybrid coating is designed to regulate the zinc anode interface through multi-mechanism synergy: sulfonic acid groups electrostatically repel SO 4 2−, ordered mesoporous channels shorten Zn 2+ transport pathways and homogenize ion flux, and surface hydroxyl groups facilitate Zn 2+ desolvation. Simultaneously, the Nafion−mSiO 2 hybrid coating serves as a robust physical barrier to suppress side reactions and electrode corrosion, while hydroxyl functionalities provide uniform nucleation sites to impede dendrite growth. Electrochemical tests reveal that the symmetric cell equipped with the modified zinc anode sustains stable cycling for 4830 h at 10 mA cm −2, with an average Coulombic efficiency of 99.0%. When paired with a MnO 2 cathode, the Nafion−mSiO 2 @Zn||MnO 2 full cell preserves 96% of its initial capacity after 2000 cycles at 2 A g −1, manifesting exceptional cycling stability and rate capability. The Nafion−mSiO 2 hybrid coating presents an efficient and scalable modification strategy for stabilizing zinc anode interfaces, thereby accelerating the practical application of high-performance zinc-ion batteries.