Spider dragline silk-inspired 3D printed sustainable zinc ion batteries with ultrahigh stability

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries have garnered considerable attention in the field of large-scale energy storage due to their low cost, inherent safety, and environmental friendliness. Nevertheless, the issues of uncontrollable dendrite growth and hydrogen evolution reaction encountered by Zn metal anodes during cycling trigger electrode structural failure and lifespan decay, severely impeding their commercialization process. Here, we utilize a green process to extract recovered alginate (rSA) from waste algae and obtain a hydrogel carrier (rSP) with high ionic conductivity through one-step crosslinking. Inspired by the bionic structure of spider silk, rSP was combined with an MXene conductive network to directly fabricate a dual-network Zn anode (rSP/MXene/ZP) via multi-band UV 3D printing technology. Integrated experimental and theoretical analyses reveal that the cross-linking of rSP ensures the formation of a polyoxygen coordination network to create fast ion-conducting pathways, while simultaneously establishing multiple hydrogen bonds to constitute a dynamic cross-linking network. Consequently, symmetrical cells achieve exceptional cycling stability over 3000 h. The rSP/MXene/ZP anode is compatible with organic cathode materials (G-PAQS), and the assembled Zn-organic cell exhibits enhanced electrochemical performance and superior stability over 10 560 cycles. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2026.