Alloying Strategies for Stable Zn Anodes: Mechanistic Insights and Design Principles

Zn anode suffers from dendrite growth and hydrogen evolution reaction during cycling, which severely compromises the stability of aqueous Zn-ion batteries, thus hindering their commercial adoption. Alloying strategies can reshape interfacial reaction behaviors by regulating the thermodynamic stability, kinetic process, and electronic structure. Recently, numerous studies have rapidly emerged with the aim of exploring highly reversible alloy anodes from diverse aspects. Despite these efforts, the intrinsic regulatory mechanisms of Zn alloy anodes have not yet been fully elucidated, prompting the need for a systematic review that integrates fundamental insights and design principles. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in Zn alloy anodes from five perspectives, including optimizing nucleation uniformity, regulating lattice orientation, modifying grain boundaries, constructing structural confinement, and inhibiting side reactions. It offers an in-depth discussion of the underlying principles and ongoing challenges associated with alloying strategies in steering Zn deposition and enhancing interfacial stability. Finally, building upon current limitations, this Perspective outlines prospective research directions for the rational design of highly stable Zn anodes.