Impact of NH2-functionalized metal-organic framework-5 coatings on zinc anode performance in aqueous zinc-ion batteries

Critical challenges associate with zinc anodes, including dendritic growth and uncontrollable side reactions, severely hinder the long-term cycling stability of aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs). To address these issues, we propose an interfacial engineering strategy by constructing functional coating layers on Zn anode surfaces. Building upon the hydrophobic metal-organic framework-5 ( MOF-5) coating, we further introduce zincophilic -NH 2 groups to develop amino-modified MOF-5 (NMOF-5) coatings, which synergistically combine the hydrophobic protection of MOF-5 with accelerated Zn 2+ transport. Experimental results demonstrate that the NMOF-5 interlayer offers high interfacial ion transport capability, promotes uniform Zn deposition, and effectively suppresses hydrogen evolution reaction and corrosion. Remarkably, even with an ultra-thin Zn foil (20 μm), the NMOF-5@Zn symmetric cell achieve exceptional cycling stability, delivering a lifespan exceeding 2000 h at 1 mA cm −2 /1 mAh cm −2 , while the NMOF-5@Zn//Cu half-cell maintained a high Coulombic efficiency of 99.8 % over 1000 cycles. Furthermore, the NMOF-5@Zn//VOH full cell retain substantial capacity retention after 1000 cycles at 5 A g −1 . These findings highlight the superiority of functional interlayer strategy, providing critical insights for developing high-performance and long-cycling AZIBs.