Molecule‐Directed Close Packing of All Zinc Crystal Facets Enables Surface Energy Homogenization for Stable Zn Metal Anodes

ABSTRACT Controlling zinc grain growth during electrodeposition is crucial for suppressing dendrite formation and enhancing the cycling stability of zinc metal anodes in aqueous electrolytes. In conventional ZnSO 4 electrolytes, zinc deposition typically forms hexagonal platelets with sharp edges and tips, which promote dendrite nucleation due to localized tip‐enhanced electric fields. In this work, a thermodynamic strategy to manipulate zinc deposition geometry by employing adenosine‐5'‐triphosphate disodium (ATPDS) as an electrolyte additive is presented, which minimizes surface energy anisotropy across different crystallographic facets. First‐principles calculations demonstrate that ATPDS adsorption induces structural reorganization of non‐(002) zinc facets, driving the outermost atomic layers into close‐packed configurations and thereby homogenizing surface energies. This ATPDS‐mediated surface energy equalization shifts zinc growth kinetics from orientation‐dominated to isotropic deposition. Experimentally, ATPDS‐modified electrolytes produce zinc grains with rounded edges, effectively mitigating the tip effect. As a result, symmetric Zn||Zn cells achieve an exceptional cycling lifespan exceeding 4000 h, a tenfold improvement over the 370 h baseline in additive‐free electrolytes.

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Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Functional Materials
Published
2026-02-28
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202600008
Primary Topic
Advanced battery technologies research
Type
article
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article

Molecule‐Directed Close Packing of All Zinc Crystal Facets Enables Surface Energy Homogenization for Stable Zn Metal Anodes

Tianbiao Chen, Bifa Ji, Guanglin Sun, Yanan Pan et al.
Advanced Functional Materials
Advanced battery technologies research
article

Molecule‐Directed Close Packing of All Zinc Crystal Facets Enables Surface Energy Homogenization for Stable Zn Metal Anodes

Tianbiao Chen, Bifa Ji, Guanglin Sun, Yanan Pan, Ao Liu, Yongbing Tang, Yupeng Zheng, Rui Yang, Fan Zhang
article en

Abstract

ABSTRACT Controlling zinc grain growth during electrodeposition is crucial for suppressing dendrite formation and enhancing the cycling stability of zinc metal anodes in aqueous electrolytes. In conventional ZnSO 4 electrolytes, zinc deposition typically forms hexagonal platelets with sharp edges and tips, which promote dendrite nucleation due to localized tip‐enhanced electric fields. In this work, a thermodynamic strategy to manipulate zinc deposition geometry by employing adenosine‐5'‐triphosphate disodium (ATPDS) as an electrolyte additive is presented, which minimizes surface energy anisotropy across different crystallographic facets. First‐principles calculations demonstrate that ATPDS adsorption induces structural reorganization of non‐(002) zinc facets, driving the outermost atomic layers into close‐packed configurations and thereby homogenizing surface energies. This ATPDS‐mediated surface energy equalization shifts zinc growth kinetics from orientation‐dominated to isotropic deposition. Experimentally, ATPDS‐modified electrolytes produce zinc grains with rounded edges, effectively mitigating the tip effect. As a result, symmetric Zn||Zn cells achieve an exceptional cycling lifespan exceeding 4000 h, a tenfold improvement over the 370 h baseline in additive‐free electrolytes.

Advanced Functional Materials
Shenzhen University (CN), Shanghai Jiao Tong University (CN), Southern University of Science and Technology (CN), Chery Automobile (China) (CN), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (CN), Shenzhen Technology University (CN), University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
Affordable and clean energy
Openalex Percentile: Top 31%
Advanced battery technologies research
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