Crystallographic engineering of Zn anodes for aqueous batteries
Shuang Wu,
Zhenglin Hu,
Pan He,
Lingxiao Ren,
Jiaxing Huang,
Jiayan Luo
Affiliations
Shuang Wu
Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
Zhenglin Hu
Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; Corresponding authors.
Pan He
School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, China
Lingxiao Ren
Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
Jiaxing Huang
School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, China
Jiayan Luo
Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced High-Temperature Materials and Precision Forming, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shaoxing Research Institute of Renewable Energy and Molecular Engineering, Shaoxing, 312000, China; Corresponding authors.
With their intrinsic safety and environmental benignity, aqueous Zn-ion batteries (ZIBs) have been considered the most appropriate candidates for replacing alkali metal systems. However, polycrystalline Zn anodes in aqueous environments still pose enormous issues, such as dendrite growth and side reactions. Although many efforts have been made to address these obstacles through interphase modification and electrolyte design, researchers have not been able to improve the inherent thermodynamic stability and ion deposition behavior of the Zn anode. It is imperative to understand and explore advanced anode construction methods from the perspective of crystallinity. This review delves into the feasibility of precisely regulating the crystallographic features of metallic zinc, examines the challenges and merits of reported strategies for fabricating textured zinc, and offers constructive suggestions for the large-scale production and commercial application of aqueous ZIBs.
