Stabilization of Zinc Anodes in Aqueous Zinc‐Ion Batteries: From Challenges and Strategies to a Bibliometric Perspective

Abstract

Aqueous zinc‐ion batteries (AZIBs) are promising candidates for large‐scale electrochemical energy storage, yet their practical viability remains fundamentally constrained by coupled failure processes at the metallic zinc anode, including uncontrolled dendrite growth, hydrogen evolution, and interfacial corrosion that are systematically underestimated under the idealized testing conditions prevalent in the literature. Unlike existing reviews that evaluate stabilization strategies solely by reported cycling metrics, this work critically assesses three major directions (current collector design, artificial solid electrolyte interphase construction, and electrolyte engineering) by the physical and chemical variables each regulates, including nucleation overpotential, Zn 2+ flux distribution, desolvation barrier, interfacial water activity, and protective‐layer mechanical integrity. Bibliometric analysis further reveals publication trends, institutional contributors, and underexplored research hotspots over the past decade. Finally, forward‐looking perspectives are proposed spanning mechanism‐constrained AI‐assisted descriptor design, multimodal operando decoupling of dendrite and corrosion contributions, failure‐mode identification under extreme and mass‐transport‐limited conditions, and ion‐economy design at the full‐cell scale. Together, these contributions aim to reframe the evaluation standards of the AZIB field and provide a systematic, mechanism‐to‐application reference for the rational design of highly stable and reversible zinc anodes.