A Bifunctional Descriptor Inspired by Electron‐Donating Ability for Regulating Dendrite Growth and Parasitic Reactions in Zinc‐Ion Batteries

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Authors: Y G Jin, Hanwen Guo, Xue Yao, Zhengtong Ji, Haoran Kang, Erhong Song, Xingyou Lang, Yongfu Zhu, Qing Jiang
Cited by: 1
References: 33

Abstract

ABSTRACT Aqueous zinc‐ion batteries (AZIBs) are promising alternatives to lithium‐based systems but are limited by dendritic growth and parasitic reactions at the Zn anode. Here, we introduce a bifunctional physicochemical descriptor ( Φ ) that evaluates hydrogen‐bond network strength in the electrolyte and interfacial adsorption strength at the electrolyte/electrode interface, capturing the respective tendencies of parasitic reaction and dendritic formation. This descriptor enables mechanism‐informed screening of amino acid additives and identifies l ‐tyrosine as an effective regulator. Multiscale characterizations show that trace l ‐tyrosine (1 mM) suppresses hydrogen evolution by restructuring the hydrogen‐bond network and promotes Zn(002)‐oriented deposition via interfacial adsorption. As a result, Zn||Zn symmetric cells exhibit prolonged stability, exceeding 4500 h at 1 mA cm −2 and over 12 000 cycles at 10 mA cm −2 , while MnO 2 ||Zn full cells retain 95.66% capacity after 500 cycles at 1 A g −1 . This work establishes a descriptor‐based framework for regulating dendrite growth and parasitic reactions and provides a rational strategy for electrolyte additive design in aqueous metal batteries.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Advanced battery technologies research Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion Advancements in Battery Materials

Publication details

Journal / source
Angewandte Chemie
Publisher
Wiley
Volume
138
Issue
23
Publication date
22 April 2026
Language
EN