Anion-Polarity-Induced Interfacial Reconstruction Directs Crystallographic Texture for Highly Reversible Sn Anodes
Pengju Li1, Yi Tan1, Kai Zhou1
1Key Laboratory of Inorganic Nonmetallic Crystalline and Energy Conversion Materials, College of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Three Gorges University, Yichang, P. R. China.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|July 25, 2026
Summary
Researchers developed a new method to control tin electrodeposition for better tin metal batteries. This strategy uses anion polarity to create uniform tin structures, significantly improving battery performance and lifespan.
Area of Science:
- Electrochemistry
- Materials Science
- Energy Storage
Background:
- Controllable tin (Sn) electrodeposition is essential for developing high-performance, reversible tin metal batteries.
- Current methods face challenges in achieving uniform and stable tin anode structures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an anion-polarity-driven interfacial regulation strategy for controlled Sn electrodeposition.
- To achieve preferential exposure of Sn(211) planes for enhanced anode morphology and performance.
Main Methods:
- Utilized trifluoromethanesulfonate (CF3SO3-) adsorption to modulate Sn deposition behavior.
- Investigated the influence of anion polarity and interfacial dipole fields on crystallographic texture evolution.
- Employed electrochemical plating and stripping techniques for anode reconstruction.
Main Results:
- Achieved dominant Sn(211) plane exposure with uniform and compact morphology.
- Demonstrated exceptional cycling stability: 99.88% Coulombic efficiency over 10,200 cycles (Sn//Cu cells).
- Reported ultralong cycling stability (3456 h in Sn//Sn symmetric cells) and 71% capacity retention in full cells after 20,000 cycles.
Conclusions:
- The anion-polarity-driven strategy effectively controls tin electrodeposition and anode morphology.
- The proposed dipole-based interfacial descriptor offers a rational approach for designing high-performance metal batteries.
- This work provides a pathway toward advanced electrochemical reconstruction for next-generation energy storage.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Types of Reversible Electrodes
For electrode reversibility to be maintained, all the reactants and products involved in the half-reaction must be present at the electrode. There are several types of reversible electrodes (half-cells).In metal-metal-ion electrodes, a metal balances electrochemically with a solution of its own ions. Examples are Cu2+|Cu and Zn2+|Zn. Metals that react with the solvent, like group 1 and most group 2 metals, which react with water, and zinc, which reacts with aqueous acidic solutions, cannot be...
01:17Ion Exchange
Ion exchange chromatography separates charged molecules from a solution by reversibly exchanging them with mobile, or 'active', ions associated with the oppositely charged stationary phase. This method can be used to separate ions, soften and deionize water, and purify solutions. The polymers comprising the ion-exchange column are high-molecular-weight and chemically stable polymers, crosslinked to be porous and essentially insoluble. They are also functionalized with either acidic or basic...
02:15SN1 Reaction: Stereochemistry
This lesson provides an in-depth discussion of the stereochemical outcomes in an SN1 reaction.
In the first step of an SN1 reaction, the bond between the electrophilic carbon and the leaving group ionizes to generate the carbocation intermediate. The second step of the mechanism is the nucleophilic attack.
In the formed carbocation, the positively charged carbon is sp2 hybridized with a trigonal planar geometry. As all the three substituents lie on the same plane, a plane of symmetry for the...
In the first step of an SN1 reaction, the bond between the electrophilic carbon and the leaving group ionizes to generate the carbocation intermediate. The second step of the mechanism is the nucleophilic attack.
In the formed carbocation, the positively charged carbon is sp2 hybridized with a trigonal planar geometry. As all the three substituents lie on the same plane, a plane of symmetry for the...
01:20Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview
The polymerization process that involves carbanion as an intermediate is called anionic polymerization. It is also a type of addition or chain-growth polymerization. Anionic polymerization gets initiated by a strong nucleophile such as an organolithium or a Grignard reagent. The most commonly used initiator for anionic polymerization is butyl lithium. Monomers involved in anionic polymerization must possess a vinyl group bonded to one or two electron-withdrawing groups. For instance,...
03:45Formation of Complex Ions
A type of Lewis acid-base chemistry involves the formation of a complex ion (or a coordination complex) comprising a central atom, typically a transition metal cation, surrounded by ions or molecules called ligands. These ligands can be neutral molecules like H2O or NH3, or ions such as CN− or OH−. Often, the ligands act as Lewis bases, donating a pair of electrons to the central atom. These types of Lewis acid-base reactions are examples of a broad subdiscipline called coordination...
01:08Electrodeposition
Electrodeposition is a technique used to separate an analyte from interferents by electrochemical processes. Here, the analyte is a metal ion that can be deposited on an electrode immersed in the sample solution. The electrochemical setup consists of an anode and a cathode. When an electric current is applied to the setup, oxidation occurs at the anode. At the cathode, which consists of a large metal surface, metal ions undergo reduction and deposit onto the surface.
Electrodeposition can...
Electrodeposition can...