Suppressing Sodium Dendrites Through Protein-Mediated Tip Adsorption Effect.

Dendrite growth and interfacial side reactions severely limit the cycle life of sodium batteries. While electrolyte additives represent the simplest mitigation strategy, conventional additives rely on single chemical driving mechanisms, and pose environmental concerns. Here, we propose a bio-adaptive approach based on the protein tip adsorption effect, demonstrating at the "amino acid-peptide-protein" scale that this mechanism regulates electric field distribution around sodium bud tips to induce uniform sodium deposition and stripping. Concurrently, it promotes formation of a robust solid electrolyte interphase, rearranging the sodium metal anode into a smoother surface. Electrolytes engineered via this tip adsorption effect deliver enhanced cycling and stripping performance in sodium symmetric cells across 1, 5, and 10 mA cm-2, with a maximum tolerable current density exceeding 25 mA cm- 2. Remarkably, NVP||Na cells achieve 20,000 cycles at 10 C and 16,000 cycles at an ultrahigh 50 C rate. The electrolyte also shows broad anode compatibility: NVP||Al@C cells with a high NVP loading of 10.32 mg cm- 2 sustain 1,000 cycles at 5 C. Guided by sustainable development principles, this work may inspire exploration of natural, eco-friendly materials for battery modification.