Engineering Trace‐Amount Electrolyte Additives for Aqueous Zinc Batteries

ABSTRACT The growing adoption of green energy has led to an increasing demand for efficient energy storage solutions. Aqueous zinc‐ion batteries (AZIBs), known for their intrinsic safety, environmental compatibility, and cost efficiency, are regarded as promising candidates. However, challenges such as dendritic growth, hydrogen evolution, and anode corrosion hinder their commercialization. Electrolyte engineering has emerged as a widely adopted and effective strategy to improve battery performance. Specifically, trace‐amount additives that selectively target the surface have recently attracted significant attention due to their ability to deliver substantial interfacial improvements while preserving the desirable bulk properties of the electrolyte. Here, we systematically summarize trace‐amount additives based on their distinct mechanisms—analyzing structure–function relationships—focusing on both experimental and computational approaches to achieve effective additives. We also present representative examples to further summarize the underlying reasons why these additives remain effective even at trace amounts. Finally, we propose a working definition of “trace‐amount additives” and provide design strategies for future research to enable low‐cost and environmentally sustainable AZIB systems with competitive performance.