Modulating Interfacial Chemistry and Designing Robust Solid Electrolyte Interphases for High-Performance Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries have emerged as a promising energy storage technology due to their intrinsic safety, cost-effectiveness, and environmental sustainability. However, practical deployment of aqueous zinc-ion batteries faces critical challenges related to zinc anode instability, including dendrite formation, hydrogen evolution, corrosion, and interfacial degradation. This review highlights recent advancements on modulating interfacial chemistry and designing robust solid electrolyte interphases (SEI) layers enriched with functional components to address these challenges. Strategies including advanced electrode/electrolyte interface engineering, functional electrolyte additives, and artificial SEI are explored for improving zinc metal anode stability and overall battery performance. Additionally, cutting-edge in-situ characterization techniques across various scales and dimensions are introduced, offering unprecedented insights into the SEI formation processes, dendrite suppression, and Zn<sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2+</sup> transport dynamics. By integrating functional interfacial designs with advanced characterization, this work outlines innovative approaches to improve zinc anode performance and realize high-efficiency, long-lifespan aqueous zinc-ion batteries.