Cationic Adsorption-Induced Microlevelling Effect: A Pathway to Dendrite-Free Zinc Anodes

Abstract Dendrite growth represents one of the most significant challenges that impede the development of aqueous zinc-ion batteries. Herein, Gd 3+ ions are introduced into conventional electrolytes as a microlevelling agent to achieve dendrite-free zinc electrodeposition. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate that these Gd 3+ ions are preferentially adsorbed onto the zinc surface, which enables dendrite-free zinc anodes by activating the microlevelling effect during electrodeposition. In addition, the Gd 3+ additives effectively inhibit side reactions and facilitate the desolvation of [Zn(H 2 O) 6 ] 2+ , leading to highly reversible zinc plating/stripping. Due to these improvements, the zinc anode…