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Micro-Terraced Surface Induced Directional Two-Dimensional Diffusion Enables Dendrite-Free Zinc Anodes
Pengfei Zhang1,2, Chao Geng2,3, Canhuang Li1
1State Key Laboratory of Tropic Ocean Engineering Materials and Materials Evaluation, School of Marine Technology and Equipment, Hainan University, Haikou, China.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|February 17, 2026
Summary
This study introduces a novel micro-terraced zinc anode that enables uniform zinc plating, overcoming dendrite growth issues in aqueous zinc batteries. This breakthrough enhances cycling stability for safer, long-lasting energy storage.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Energy Storage
Background:
- Aqueous zinc batteries offer low cost and high safety but suffer from poor cycling stability due to zinc dendrite growth.
- Current methods focus on converting 2D to 3D diffusion to suppress dendrites, with limited success.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel strategy for dendrite-free zinc plating in aqueous zinc batteries.
- To investigate the mechanism of zinc deposition on a specifically engineered surface.
Main Methods:
- A Ti4+-etching strategy was employed to create a micro-terraced zinc anode surface.
- Zinc plating behavior was analyzed on the micro-terraced surface, contrasting it with conventional 2D diffusion.
- Full cells utilizing the modified anode were assembled and tested with an I2 cathode.
Main Results:
- The micro-terraced surface facilitated directional 2D diffusion, leading to uniform, dendrite-free zinc plating.
- The modified zinc anodes demonstrated exceptional cycling stability, enduring over 6250 cycles at 5 mA cm-2/1 mAh cm-2.
- Full cells achieved 83.4% capacity retention and 99.89% average Coulombic efficiency over 5000 cycles at 1.5 A g-1.
Conclusions:
- Directional 2D diffusion on micro-terraced surfaces is a viable strategy to achieve uniform zinc deposition and suppress dendrites.
- This approach significantly enhances the cycling stability and performance of aqueous zinc batteries.
- The findings offer a new design paradigm for developing high-stability energy storage systems.
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