Unlocking the mysteries of interfacial processes in zinc-ion batteries through multiscale advanced characterization techniques

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) are emerging as promising candidates for sustainable energy storage due to their low cost, intrinsic safety, environmental friendliness, and abundant zinc resources. However, their large-scale application is hindered by complex interfacial phenomena at the zinc anode/electrolyte boundary, including dendrite growth, parasitic hydrogen evolution, corrosion, and the unstable formation of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). These processes are highly dynamic, interdependent, and sensitive to local microenvironments, making them difficult to capture with conventional ex situ methods and severely limiting electrochemical stability and cycle life.

To address these challenges, advanced in situ and operando characterization techniques have been developed, enabling real-time monitoring of interfacial dynamics under realistic operating conditions. Imaging approaches, from liquid-phase TEM to FIB-SEM, synchrotron tomography, and optical microscopy, directly visualize dendrite initiation, growth pathways, and structural failure. Spectroscopic methods, such as Raman, FTIR, nano-FTIR, and ambient pressure XPS, reveal the chemical composition, solvation structures, and SEI evolution at buried interfaces. Synchrotron-based scattering and diffraction, including XRD, SAXS/WAXS, and XAFS, provide atomic-to-mesoscale insights into crystallographic transitions, local coordination, and additive-induced effects. Complementary mass spectrometry techniques, such as EQCM, GC-MS, and DEMS, track interfacial mass variations, gas evolution, and parasitic reaction kinetics with high sensitivity and temporal resolution.

Together, these multi-modal tools establish direct correlations between structural, chemical, and electrochemical processes across different spatial and temporal scales. They not only clarify the mechanisms governing zinc nucleation, dendrite suppression, and interphase formation but also provide actionable insights for electrolyte engineering, additive design, and protective interface construction. Looking ahead, integrating these advanced techniques with machine learning, theoretical modeling, and multimodal data fusion will be crucial for overcoming current resolution limits and translating interfacial understanding into practical strategies. Such progress will accelerate the development of durable, dendrite-free, and high-performance aqueous zinc-ion batteries for large-scale and safe energy storage applications.

About Nano Research

Nano Research is a peer-reviewed, open access, international and interdisciplinary research journal, sponsored by Tsinghua University and the Chinese Chemical Society, published by Tsinghua University Press on the platform SciOpen. It publishes original high-quality research and significant review articles on all aspects of nanoscience and nanotechnology, ranging from basic aspects of the science of nanoscale materials to practical applications of such materials. After 18 years of development, it has become one of the most influential academic journals in the nano field. Nano Research has published more than 1,000 papers every year from 2022, with its cumulative count surpassing 7,000 articles. In 2024 InCites Journal Citation Reports, its 2024 IF is 9.0 (8.7, 5 years), and it continues to be the Q1 area among the four subject classifications. Nano Research Award, established by Nano Research together with TUP and Springer Nature in 2013, and Nano Research Young Innovators (NR45) Awards, established by Nano Research in 2018, have become international academic awards with global influence.