TY - JOUR
T1 - Dynamic Interfacial Adsorption via a Thermoresponsive Biomass Interphase Enables Temperature-Adaptive Zinc Anodes
AU - Yan, Jin
AU - Qian, Ji
AU - Li, Jiacheng
AU - Lv, Xiaowei
AU - Chang, Haonan
AU - Zhao, Yi
AU - Li, Yu
AU - Chen, Renjie
AU - Li, Li
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2026 Wiley-VCH GmbH.
PY - 2026
Y1 - 2026
N2 - Aqueous zinc batteries face temperature-dependent interfacial challenges, whereas conventional artificial interphases rely on static passivation and therefore lose effectiveness under thermal perturbation. Here we report a thermoresponsive biomass interphase that enables temperature-adaptive zinc anodes through dynamic interfacial adsorption. Constructed from gelatin and sulfonated cellulose nanocrystals, the interphase undergoes reversible gel-quasi-liquid transitions within the operating temperature window of aqueous zinc batteries. At room temperature, the hydrogen-bonded network homogenizes Zn2+ flux and spatially confines deposition, thereby suppressing dendrite growth and corrosion. At elevated temperature, the interphase switches to a dynamic adsorption mode, in which reconfigured polymer chains expose zincophilic groups that promote Zn(002)-preferred deposition and inhibit hydrogen evolution and by-product formation. This thermally triggered switching mechanism enables symmetric cells to achieve stable cycling over 2000 h at 30°C and 730 h at 60°C. At 30°C, full cells with a V2O4 cathode retain 90.53% of their initial capacity after 2000 cycles at 10C. At 60°C, the I2-based full cell achieves 91.1% after 2500 cycles at 4C, and can even sustain 9600 cycles at 15C. Life-cycle assessment further reveals reduced environmental impacts relative to conventional protective films. This work establishes a new interphase design paradigm offering a sustainable route toward high-temperature-stable batteries.
AB - Aqueous zinc batteries face temperature-dependent interfacial challenges, whereas conventional artificial interphases rely on static passivation and therefore lose effectiveness under thermal perturbation. Here we report a thermoresponsive biomass interphase that enables temperature-adaptive zinc anodes through dynamic interfacial adsorption. Constructed from gelatin and sulfonated cellulose nanocrystals, the interphase undergoes reversible gel-quasi-liquid transitions within the operating temperature window of aqueous zinc batteries. At room temperature, the hydrogen-bonded network homogenizes Zn2+ flux and spatially confines deposition, thereby suppressing dendrite growth and corrosion. At elevated temperature, the interphase switches to a dynamic adsorption mode, in which reconfigured polymer chains expose zincophilic groups that promote Zn(002)-preferred deposition and inhibit hydrogen evolution and by-product formation. This thermally triggered switching mechanism enables symmetric cells to achieve stable cycling over 2000 h at 30°C and 730 h at 60°C. At 30°C, full cells with a V2O4 cathode retain 90.53% of their initial capacity after 2000 cycles at 10C. At 60°C, the I2-based full cell achieves 91.1% after 2500 cycles at 4C, and can even sustain 9600 cycles at 15C. Life-cycle assessment further reveals reduced environmental impacts relative to conventional protective films. This work establishes a new interphase design paradigm offering a sustainable route toward high-temperature-stable batteries.
KW - aqueous Zn batteries
KW - biomass-derived interface
KW - dynamic adsorption
KW - thermally adaptive interphase
KW - Zn anodes
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105051271485
U2 - 10.1002/anie.6160556
DO - 10.1002/anie.6160556
M3 - Article
C2 - 42750387
AN - SCOPUS:105051271485
SN - 1433-7851
JO - Angewandte Chemie - International Edition
JF - Angewandte Chemie - International Edition
ER -