The commercialization of aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) is hindered by the poor reversibility of Zn-metal anodes, which suffer from dendrite growth, hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and corrosion. This work designs a gradient organic-inorganic (GOI4) protective layer on the Zn anode, which is composed of a Zn-rich inorganic montmorillonite (Zn-MMT) sub-layer and an organic hydroxypropyl guar gum (HGG) top-layer. The -OH of HHG acts as valve for gating Zn2+ ‘on’ and anions ‘off’ states to block water and SO42-, while close-fitting Zn-rich MMT at interface can provide rapid interfacial Zn²⁺ replenishment to homogenize ion flux and its feasible mechanical strength promises suppression of dentrites formation. Through theoretical calculation, the lower transfer energy barrier of Zn2+ in GOI4 layer provides unique benefits to accelerating fast Zn migration, decreasing the concentration polarization. Consequently, the GOI4@Zn symmetric cell achieves exceptional cycling stability over 2700 hours at 0.25 mA cm-2/0.25 mA cm-2 and operates reliably even at ultrahigh current density (5 mA cm-2, 1 mAh cm-2 for 4000 h). When paired with I₂@PAC cathode, the full cell also demonstrates long-term cycling (e.g., 20,000 cycles with 87.5% capacity retention). This work provides a feasible strategy for developing highly reversible Zn anodes for practical AZIBs.
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Research Article
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Nano Research
Available online: 10 August 2026
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