Interfacial Silver Nanostructure Engineering for Regulated Zinc Plating and Long-Term Stability in Aqueous Zinc Metal Batteries

Aqueous zinc metal batteries have emerged as attractive candidates for safe and cost-effective electrochemical energy storage; however, their widespread implementation remains restricted by uncontrolled zinc nucleation, dendritic deposition, corrosion processes, and continuous interfacial instability. To address these limitations, a silver-based nanoengineered interphase was constructed directly on the zinc surface through an in situ interfacial conversion approach. The presence of the Ag nanostructure modifies surface chemistry, enhances zinc affinity, and promotes a more uniform distribution of ionic flux across the electrode. Comprehensive structural characterization together with electrochemical evaluation demonstrates that the engineered Ag interlayer significantly decreases the energy required for Zn nucleation, reduces localized current-density concentration, and facilitates highly reversible zinc plating/stripping behavior. Complementary finite-element simulations performed using COMSOL Multiphysics further reveal that the silver-modified interface effectively homogenizes electric-field distribution and alleviates ion-concentration gradients, thereby suppressing dendrite propagation and minimizing interfacial side reactions. Owing to the synergistic regulation of charge transfer and zinc deposition kinetics, the Ag-protected zinc electrode exhibits exceptional durability, maintaining stable symmetric-cell operation for approximately 1,800 h at 3.2 mA cm −2 with an areal capacity of 1.2 mAh cm −2 . Moreover, full-cell systems deliver sustained electrochemical performance over 3,000 charge-discharge cycles with minimal degradation. This study demonstrates that nanoscale silver interfacial engineering offers an effective route for controlling zinc-metal deposition behavior and establishes a practical strategy for developing long-life aqueous zinc battery technologies.