Orienting dendrite resistant behavior via heteroatom regulation toward high areal capacity zinc metal anode

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) have garnered significant attention in energy storage fields due to their inherent advantages of abundant reserves, intrinsic safety, and high volumetric energy density. However, their practical implementation is significantly hindered by persistent challenges, including uncontrolled dendrite proliferation and detrimental interfacial side reactions. To address these issues, the phosphorus-doped strategy to construct a multifunctional host scaffold comprising three-dimensional super‑zincophilic and conductive phosphorus-doped SiO₂ coupled nitrogen-doped carbon nanofibers (PSNC) is proposed, systematically revealing the dual regulation mechanism of phosphorus-mediated interface engineering on zinc deposition behavior. Experimental and theoretical calculations reveal that the introduction of phosphorus provides sufficient nucleation and zincophilic sites for homogeneous nucleation and deposition of Zn metal, reduces the nucleation barrier and accelerates ion transfer. Moreover, the unique fiber network structure provides ample space to accommodate Zn²⁺ flux regulation and uniform deposition, ensuring structural stability during repeated plating/stripping processes and contributing to more stable cycling under high current densities. Consequently, the PSNC@Zn symmetric cell achieves an ultralong cycling lifespan of 1230 h with low voltage polarization under high current densities of 10 mA cm^-2/5 mAh cm^-2. The successful fabrication of this PSNC multifunctional interface layer provides valuable insights for developing more efficient and advanced next-generation energy storage technologies.