journal article·2026-07Open access

Configuration‐Engineered Zn 2+ Solvation for Directed Interfacial Chemistry in Aqueous Zinc Batteries

Zhihua Lin, Hairu Wei, Qi Qi, Frederik Bettels, Taoran Li, Haiwei Wu, Fei Ding, Chaofeng Zhang, Yuping Liu, Lin Zhang

Batteries & Supercaps· Volume 9· Issue 7

Abstract

Uncontrolled desolvation of dynamically hydrated [Zn(H 2 O) 6 ] 2+ complexes constitute the primary bottleneck for reversible aqueous zinc‐ion batteries, leading to stochastic interfacial side reactions and unpredictable solid–electrolyte interphase formation. Herein, we propose a configuration‐engineering strategy to regulate the Zn 2+ primary solvation sheath. Guided by the molecular design principles, i.e., configuration‐defined chelation, intermediate coordination strength, and regulated interfacial chemistry, we construct a stable five‐membered chelating structure using cysteamine as a model additive. The defined chelate configuration effectively displaces coordinated water molecules, lowering the desolvation energy barrier and reshaping the interfacial electronic distribution. The chelated complex participates in interfacial reactions during cycling, contributing to the formation of an N/S‐enriched interfacial layer that synergistically suppresses water activity while maintaining highly homogenized Zn 2+ flux transport. Consequently, the Zn anode achieves an exceptional lifespan of over 2000 h with a significantly reduced nucleation overpotential. This work establishes a generalized configurational design for electrolyte engineering toward high‐performance aqueous zinc‐ion batteries.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Advanced battery technologies research · Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion · Advancements in Battery Materials

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Institute of Solid State Physics Leibniz University Hannover Hannover Germany

Laboratory of Nano and Quantum Engineering (LNQE) Leibniz University Hannover Hannover Germany

Shaanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Papermaking Technology and Specialty Paper Development College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering Shaanxi University of Science & Technology Xi’an P. R. China

Institutes of Physical Science and Information Technology Leibniz Joint Research Center of Materials Sciences Key Laboratory of Structure and Functional Regulation of Hybrid Material (Ministry of Education) Anhui University Hefei P. R. China

Research Center for Electrochemical Energy Storage Technologies Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology Chinese Academy of Sciences Chongqing P. R. China

Funding

China Scholarship Council · National Natural Science Foundation of China

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