Achieving reversible zinc electrodeposition through a holistic interfacial energy framework.

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Aqueous zinc metal batteries (ZMBs) are crucial for grid-scale energy storage.
• Interfacial instability at the zinc anode, including dendrite formation and hydrogen evolution, limits ZMB longevity.
• Existing strategies often address failure modes in isolation, lacking a holistic view of Zn deposition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To elucidate the continuous energetic cascade governing zinc deposition at the anode.
• To establish a unified mechanistic framework for understanding Zn anode interfacial behavior.
• To identify actionable principles for designing stable aqueous ZMBs.

Main Methods:

• Review of interfacial energy cascade from ion transport to nucleation.
• Analysis of how diffusion, desolvation, and nucleation energetics are interconnected.
• Highlighting operando characterization and multiscale modeling techniques.

Main Results:

• Zn deposition follows an energy cascade involving ion transport, desolvation, and nucleation.
• Aligned energetic transitions promote compact Zn architectures and suppress parasitic reactions.
• A coupled cascade model provides a unified view of Zn interfacial processes.

Conclusions:

• Understanding the energetic sequence of Zn deposition is key to improving anode stability.
• Operando techniques and modeling enable experimental and computational access to interfacial coupling.
• This framework offers principles for designing robust aqueous zinc anodes for energy storage.