With the rapid growth of demand for large-scale energy storage, aqueous zinc-ion batteries have emerged as a research hotspot in the energy storage field due to their high safety, low cost, and environmental friendliness. However, the practical application of zinc anodes faces two major challenges: zinc dendrite growth and hydrogen evolution side reactions. These issues stem from the instability of the anode/electrolyte interface, which leads to uneven Zn 2+ distribution and direct contact between water molecules and the zinc metal.
To address these challenges, the team of Zhaoling Ma and Hongqiang Wang from Guangxi Normal University has proposed an ion-sieve interface layer based on spinel-structured ZnV 2 O 4 . This design strategically utilizes moderate oxygen vacancies to preserve the integrity of the internal three-dimensional tunnel structure while significantly enhancing ion transport kinetics and reducing the desolvation energy barrier. The findings have been published in the journal Nano Research on May 28.
The moderate surface oxygen vacancies provide ZnV 2 O 4 with abundant zincophilic sites, effectively inducing the formation of dendrite-free zinc electrodes.
Furthermore, with unique inner three-dimensional connectivity structure and the tunnel dimension of approximately 2.8-3.0 Å, ZnV 2 O 4 ion sieve interface layer can preferentially transport Zn 2+ through the interconnected multipath due to the rational ion size of 1.48 Å for Zn 2+ .
In symmetric cell tests, batteries employing the ZnV 2 O 4 @Zn anode demonstrated an ultra-long cycling lifespan of over 3,700 hours at 4 mA cm -2 . Even under a high current density of 8 mA cm -2 , they maintained stable cycling for more than 900 hours. In full cells assembled with MnO 2 cathodes, the anode retained a specific capacity of 200 mAh g -1 after 1,000 cycles at 1 A g -1 , achieving a capacity retention of 52.5%.
This work reveals the synergistic mechanism between oxygen vacancy content and three-dimensional tunnel geometry in regulating ion transport. This strategy, based on the synergy of high ion flux and selectivity, opens a new pathway for constructing durable aqueous zinc-ion batteries.
This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 22362010), the Innovation Research Team Project of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (Grant No. 2023GXNSFGA026002), and the Guangxi Science and Technology Base and Talent Special Project (Grant No. GUIKE AD25069022).
D OI Link:
https://doi.org/10.26599/NR.2026.94908542
About Nano Research
Nano Research is a peer-reviewed, open access, international and interdisciplinary research journal, sponsored by Tsinghua University and the Chinese Chemical Society, published by Tsinghua University Press on the platform SciOpen. It publishes original high-quality research and significant review articles on all aspects of nanoscience and nanotechnology, ranging from basic aspects of the science of nanoscale materials to practical applications of such materials. After 18 years of development, it has become one of the most influential academic journals in the nano field. Nano Research has published more than 1,000 papers every year from 2022, with its cumulative count surpassing 8,000 articles. In 2025 InCites Journal Citation Reports, its 2025 IF is 9.4 (8.3, 5 years), and it continues to be the Q1 area among the four subject classifications. Nano Research Award, established by Nano Research together with TUP and Springer Nature in 2013, and Nano Research Young Innovators (NR45) Awards, established by Nano Research in 2018, have become international academic awards with global influence.
Nano Research
A three-dimensional tunnel ion sieve interface for ultra-long life Zn metal anodes
28-May-2026