Oriented Crystallization of Metal Electrodeposition in Aqueous Zinc Batteries

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) are attractive for large-scale energy storage due to their safety and low cost, but practical use is limited by dendrite growth, hydrogen evolution, and passivation. Traditional solutions often introduce additional complexity without addressing the root cause: unstable zinc deposition. Recent advancements now focus on controlling zinc crystallographic orientation to fundamentally suppress inhomogeneous nucleation and growth. The (002) basal plane supports smooth, reversible growth and can be promoted via heteroepitaxy or homoepitaxy, enabling long cycle life even at high rates. However, emerging studies show that Zn(100) and Zn(101) orientations may offer comparable benefits through faster kinetics and reduced parasitic reactions. Scalable, non-epitaxial methods like electrolyte tuning and pressure control also show promise. Despite these advances, balancing thermodynamic stability with kinetic performance remains a major challenge. Future research should integrate orientation control with strategies against corrosion and calendar aging to enable practical, high-performance AZIBs.