Tailoring Zinc Anode Interface with a Lard Derivative Coating for High-Performance Aqueous Batteries

In order to solve the bottleneck problems of zinc anode in aqueous zinc-ion batteries, such as dendrite disorder growth, hydrogen evolution corrosion, and interface passivation, lard derivative coating (LDC) was fabricated on zinc anode using a coating–calcination process. The microstructure, surface physical, and chemical properties of LDC and its influence on zinc deposition behavior and interface stability were investigated using a combination of techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The LDC-modified Zn anode (LDC@Zn) delivers stable cycling for over 3500 h at 1 mA·cm−2/0.5 mAh·cm−2. In Zn||Cu asymmetric cells, an average coulombic efficiency of 99.8% is achieved over 2400 cycles, confirming highly reversible Zn plating/stripping behavior. Furthermore, the full cell maintains a reversible capacity of ~400 mAh·g−1 after 800 cycles at 5 A·g−1, demonstrating excellent rate capability and long-term stability. Overall, this work innovatively demonstrates that the LDC interphase integrates hydrophobic suppression of side reactions and zincophilic regulation of Zn2+ deposition within a single architecture, enabling a synergistic balance between interfacial stability and controlled ion transport, and providing a scalable strategy for stable Zn anodes and new insights into interfacial engineering.