Synergistic Core-Satellite Interfacial Nanoarchitectonics via Ultrafast Microwave Joule Heating for Durable Zn Anodes...

The commercialization of Zn metal anodes is constrained by dendrite growth and severe side reactions, despite their low cost and high volumetric capacity. Herein, we leverage the microwave-induced skin effect to establish the hybrid interphase layer by sequentially incorporating Zn²⁺-affinitive Cu and HER-suppressive Bi. The in situ formed protective layer, composed of core-satellite nanoarchitectonics, exhibits a thin and gradient feature owing to the limited penetration depth of electromagnetic energy via ultrafast Joule heating. The introduction of Cu species evolves into CuZn₅ alloy microsphere cores, which bond intimately to the Zn substrate with minimum lattice mismatch, thereby facilitating uniform Zn nucleation and dense deposition. Meanwhile, the confined growth of nanosized Bi satellites effectively suppresses parasitic reactions, endowing the Zn anode with a prolonged lifespan exceeding 3400 h at 5 mA cm^-2. The full cell employing the modified Zn anode and NaV₃O₈ cathode demonstrates excellent capacity retention of 86% after 1000 cycles at 2 A g^-1.