Direct ink writing of engineered MOF-based hybrid composite empowering dendrite free zinc ion battery anode

The relationship between morphology and electrochemical performance of zinc-ion battery (ZIB) anodes is crucial. Optimizing zinc-ion intercalation efficiency, suppressing dendrite formation, and mitigating shape changes are achievable through thoughtful anode architecture design. Herein, we have engineered a hybrid composite by coordinating a metal-organic framework with phenolic formaldehyde resin using a direct ink writing approach to rationally design a gridline-patterned 3DP-UiON-PHC@Zn. This anode in a symmetrical cell shows exceptional stability with a low voltage hysteresis of 15 mV at 0.1 mA cm- 2 over 2375 h and 67 mV at 0.5 mA cm- 2 over 4470 h. When paired with a 3DP-VOC@Al cathode in a full cell, it achieves a remarkable areal capacity of 85.1 mAh cm2 (94.8 %) and maintains a capacity retention of 122 mAh g- 1 (88.6 %) over 900 cycles at 0.1 A g- 1. It also offers a power density of 69.1 W kg- 1 and an energy density of 34.6 Wh kg- 1. Kinetic analysis reveals that the charge storage mechanism is primarily capacitive (94.7 %). This study concludes that DIW significantly improves anode performance by minimizing dendrite growth and improving electrochemical sta- bility, while the 3D-printed hybrid composite ensures robust mechanical stability and a porous structure.