Synergistic Design of Superhydrophilic In@Zn@Cu NW@Cu Foam Anode for High-Performance Zinc-Ion Batteries

The development of Zn-based anodes for aqueous Zn-ion batteries has attracted significant attention due to the high capacity of Zn, its low cost, environmental friendliness, and safety. However, dendrite formation and hydrogen evolution reactions (HERs) during Zn plating and stripping pose major challenges to their practical application, limiting the stability and efficiency of Zn-ion batteries. This study presents a super-hydrophilic In@Zn@Cu nanowire (NW)@Cu foam anode designed to enhance electrochemical performance. This unique structure combined the high surface area and conductivity of Cu NW-decorated Cu foam with the HER suppression property of In. The In@Zn@Cu NW@Cu foam exhibited excellent interfacial interactions with the electrolyte, promoting rapid ion diffusion and reducing dendrite formation, thus making it a promising platform for stable and efficient Zn plating and stripping. Symmetric battery tests demonstrated excellent cycling stability at a current density of 1 mA cm^-2 with minimal voltage hysteresis, while full-cell tests showed a high reversible capacity of 328 mA g^-1 at 0.2A g^-1 and long-term cycling stability. These results highlight the potential of the In@Zn@Cu NW@Cu foam anode for stable and efficient Zn plating and stripping, thereby advancing Zn-based energy storage technologies.