Kinesin‐Mimetic Ion Director Enables Highly Oriented Zn Deposition in Aqueous Batteries

Abstract The practical implementation of zinc (Zn) metal electrode in rechargeable aqueous batteries remains hindered by uncontrolled dendrite formation and parasitic side reactions, primarily stemming from unregulated ion transport and high water activity. Inspired by directional cargo‐transport function of kinesins, here a mimetic ion director, represented by 3‐(amidinothio)‐1‐propanesulfonic acid (APSA), is deployed to regulate Zn deposition and suppress side reactions. When added into the electrolyte, the iso‐thiourea groups of APSA selectively anchor to Zn(002) facets, mimicking microtubule‐binding domain of kinesin, while the sulfonic acid groups locally concentrate Zn 2+ ions near the anchored sites, resembling cargo‐binding domains. This bio‐inspired “anchor‐capture” synergy enables dynamic, self‐adaptive regulation of Zn 2+ ion flux, thereby guiding oriented Zn deposition and suppressing dendrite formation. Meanwhile, APSA reduces both interfacial and bulk water activity, thus mitigating side reactions. As a result, the novel bio‐inspired electrolyte dramatically extends the cycle life of aqueous Zn batteries. Remarkably, a Zn//NaV 3 O 8 ·1.5H 2 O full battery comprising of an ultrathin Zn anode (20 µm) and a low N/P ratio (≈6) retains 93.40% of capacity after 400 cycles (over 600 h). This work provides a novel biomimetic ion transport regulation strategy that enables directional metal deposition, offering a transformative pathway toward highly stable and reversible metal batteries.

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Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Functional Materials
Published
2025-09-20
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202518964
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Advanced battery technologies research
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.73
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article

Kinesin‐Mimetic Ion Director Enables Highly Oriented Zn Deposition in Aqueous Batteries

Sze Mon Lo, Maochun Wu, Ang Li, Haoran Jiang et al.
1 citations
Advanced Functional Materials
Advanced battery technologies research
0.73
article

Kinesin‐Mimetic Ion Director Enables Highly Oriented Zn Deposition in Aqueous Batteries

Sze Mon Lo, Maochun Wu, Ang Li, Haoran Jiang, Zeyu Xu, Xinyu Zhang
article en
1 citations

Abstract

Abstract The practical implementation of zinc (Zn) metal electrode in rechargeable aqueous batteries remains hindered by uncontrolled dendrite formation and parasitic side reactions, primarily stemming from unregulated ion transport and high water activity. Inspired by directional cargo‐transport function of kinesins, here a mimetic ion director, represented by 3‐(amidinothio)‐1‐propanesulfonic acid (APSA), is deployed to regulate Zn deposition and suppress side reactions. When added into the electrolyte, the iso‐thiourea groups of APSA selectively anchor to Zn(002) facets, mimicking microtubule‐binding domain of kinesin, while the sulfonic acid groups locally concentrate Zn 2+ ions near the anchored sites, resembling cargo‐binding domains. This bio‐inspired “anchor‐capture” synergy enables dynamic, self‐adaptive regulation of Zn 2+ ion flux, thereby guiding oriented Zn deposition and suppressing dendrite formation. Meanwhile, APSA reduces both interfacial and bulk water activity, thus mitigating side reactions. As a result, the novel bio‐inspired electrolyte dramatically extends the cycle life of aqueous Zn batteries. Remarkably, a Zn//NaV 3 O 8 ·1.5H 2 O full battery comprising of an ultrathin Zn anode (20 µm) and a low N/P ratio (≈6) retains 93.40% of capacity after 400 cycles (over 600 h). This work provides a novel biomimetic ion transport regulation strategy that enables directional metal deposition, offering a transformative pathway toward highly stable and reversible metal batteries.

Advanced Functional MaterialsVol. 36(14)
Hong Kong Polytechnic University (HK), Tianjin University (CN)
Openalex Percentile: Top 23%
Advanced battery technologies research
0.73
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