| Stable Interfacial Regulation via Hydrophilic Polydopamine for Aqueous Zinc Batteries |
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Huiseong Kim1, Jun Hee Jung1, Taehyun Lee1, Ji Hyun Um1,2,3,4 |
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Kongju National University, Cheonan 31080, Republic of Korea
2Center for Future Sustainable Technology, Kongju National University, Cheonan 31080, Republic of Korea
3Department of Future Convergence Engineering, Kongju National University, Cheonan 31080, Republic of Korea
4Global Institute of Manufacturing Technology (GITECH), Kongju National University, Cheonan 31080, Republic of Korea |
Correspondence:
Ji Hyun Um,
Email: jhum@kongju.ac.kr
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Received: 3 February 2026 • Accepted: 2 May 2026
*Huiseong Kim and Jun Hee Jung contributed equally to this study as co-first authors. |
| Abstract |
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Despite their high theoretical capacity, excellent safety, and low cost, aqueous zinc (Zn) batteries suffer from poor reversibility of Zn deposition/dissolution, causing dendrite formation, as well as parasitic side reactions. Herein, polydopamine (PDA), featuring excellent adhesion and hydrophilicity, is introduced as a coating layer that uniformly covers surface defects on the Zn metal anode and provides abundant functional groups for interfacial regulation. Catechol hydroxyl and amine groups in PDA guide Zn deposition by coordinating with hydrated Zn2+ ions, leading to uniform ion distribution and homogeneous nucleation. In addition, the protective PDA coating layer stabilizes the electrode-electrolyte interface by enhancing interactions with interfacial water molecules, which effectively mitigates water decomposition. The PDA-coated Zn anode demonstrates dendrite-free Zn deposition, with favorable nucleation behavior confined within the coating layer, as confirmed by in situ top-view and side-view optical imaging. Furthermore, in situ internal cell pressure monitoring combined with ex situ XRD analysis suggests suppressed parasitic hydrogen evolution associated with reduced interfacial water activity. Consequently, full cell evaluations of the PDA-coated Zn anode paired with an ammonium tetravanadate NH4V4O10 cathode exhibit stable cycling performance, demonstrating that rational interfacial engineering via a facile polymer coating represents a promising strategy for developing practical aqueous Zn batteries. |
| Keywords:
Aqueous zinc batteries, Hydrophilic coating, Polydopamine, Dendrite, Hydrogen gas |
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