Layered Protective Interfacial Materials for Zinc Anodes in Aqueous Batteries: A Review

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) are promising for large-scale energy storage due to their high safety, low cost, and environmental friendliness. However, their practical application is hindered by severe parasitic side reactions and uncontrollable dendrite growth on zinc anodes, leading to rapid performance degradation. Constructing an artificial interphase layer (AIL) on the zinc surface has emerged as an effective strategy to isolate the electrolyte and regulate interfacial electrochemistry. Among various candidates, layered materials (LMs) with two-dimensional structures offer intrinsic advantages-including tunable interlayer channels, mechanical flexibility, and high surface areas—that homogenize $Zn^{2+}$ flux and suppress dendrite growth. This review comprehensively summarizes recent progress in LMs as protective coatings for zinc anodes. We first elucidate the fundamental knowledge and core stabilization mechanisms of LM-based interphases, then survey recent advancements in LMs for AILs, covering interlayer intercalation and composite engineering. Finally, we discuss ongoing challenges and future perspectives toward practical high-zinc-utilization conditions, aiming to inspire the development of high-performance aqueous energy storage systems.