Aqueous Zinc-Ion Battery Technologies

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries utilise zinc metal as the anode and a variety of cathode materials immersed in mild aqueous electrolytes. Their intrinsic safety, low cost and environmental benignity position them as attractive alternatives to lithium-ion systems for both grid-scale and portable energy storage. Key research objectives include enhancing energy density, rate performance and cycle life while suppressing zinc dendrite formation and parasitic side reactions. Strategies to address these challenges encompass engineered cathode frameworks for stabilised ion intercalation, tailored electrolyte formulations to modulate zinc deposition kinetics and the creation of protective interphases on zinc surfaces. Advances range from controlled phase transitions in manganese dioxide to ultrathin organic coatings that guide uniform zinc plating, yielding devices with high reversible capacity and extended cyclability. These developments collectively advance the practical deployment of aqueous zinc-ion technology in sustainable energy infrastructures.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Seminal studies revealed that tunnel-structured manganese dioxide cathodes undergo a phase transformation upon first discharge, forming a layered host that enables high-capacity, reversible zinc intercalation with prolonged cycle life. Further work uncovered the in situ formation of a hybrid inorganic–organic solid electrolyte interphase on zinc anodes, achieving near-100 % coulombic efficiency and dendrite-free plating at elevated areal capacities. More recently, ultrathin fluorinated covalent organic framework films applied to zinc surfaces have been shown to lower interfacial energy and direct horizontal zinc deposition, delivering hundreds of hours of stable cycling at high current densities. Together, these investigations highlight the critical role of electrode–electrolyte interface engineering in determining deposition behaviour and long-term operational stability.

Aqueous Zinc-Ion Battery Technologies publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in aqueous zinc-ion battery technologies across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Aqueous electrolyte: A water-based medium containing dissolved zinc and supporting ions to facilitate charge transport between electrodes.

Dendrite: Needle-like metallic deposits that form on electrode surfaces, risking internal short circuits and capacity loss.

Solid electrolyte interphase (SEI): A passivating film on the anode that regulates ion flux and inhibits continuous side reactions.

Coulombic efficiency: The ratio of charge extracted during discharge to charge supplied during charging, indicating electrochemical reversibility.

Intercalation: The reversible insertion of ions into an electrode’s crystal lattice without major structural collapse.

References

1. Rechargeable aqueous zinc-manganese dioxide batteries with high energy and power densities. Nature Communications (2017).
2. Zinc anode-compatible in-situ solid electrolyte interphase via cation solvation modulation. Nature Communications (2019).
3. Horizontally arranged zinc platelet electrodeposits modulated by fluorinated covalent organic framework film for high-rate and durable aqueous zinc ion batteries. Nature Communications (2021).
4. Zn-based batteries for sustainable energy storage: strategies and mechanisms. Chemical Society Reviews (2024).
5. Hetero Nucleus Growth Stabilizing Zinc Anode for High-Biosecurity Zinc-Ion Batteries. Nano-Micro Letters (2023).
6. Operando Visualization and Multi-scale Tomography Studies of Dendrite Formation and Dissolution in Zinc Batteries. Joule (2019).