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Sustained single-textured zinc electrodeposition via organic–inorganic hybrid molecular design for high-capacity aqueous zinc-metal batteries
Nano Research 2026, 19(7): 94908661
Published: 08 June 2026
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The uncontrolled zinc electrodeposition in aqueous electrolytes, characterized by crystallographic randomness, remains a fundamental challenge due to dendritic growth and parasitic reactions. This work introduces a multifunctional organic–inorganic hybrid additive, magnesium bis(benzenesulfonyl)imide (Mg(BBI)2), to precisely direct Zn deposition. The mechanistic studies reveal that the BBI anions preferentially adsorb onto the specific (101) and (100) Zn planes to block the nucleation sites of these two planes, thereby promoting a highly oriented deposition dominated by the (002) plane. Concurrently, the Mg2+ cations weaken the Zn2+-SO42−/H2O interaction, serving as a long-term texture stabilizer for the single-textured electrodeposition. The tiny addition of Mg(BBI)2 (0.02 M in 2 M ZnSO4) achieves the Zn plating with a strikingly high (002) relative texture coefficient of 97.9% and superior corrosion resistance. Moreover, this hybrid molecular design represents a shift from the repurposing of existing molecules to purposefully functionalized synthesis, which endows durable high-zinc-utilization Zn||Zn symmetric cells and high-capacity full cells coupled with various cathodes, such as CaV6O16·2.7H2O cathodes with high mass loading (16 and 22.6 mg·cm−2).

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