Sophorolipid-Mediated Zinc Anode

Suppresses dendrites and HER

Dual regulation by sophorolipid concurrently optimizes Zn2+ transport kinetics and interfacial stability for long-lasting zinc anodes.

Zhenhai, Shi · Chen, Suli · Min, Zan · Zhang, Leiqian · Jiaming, Gong · Zhou, Yazhou · Müllen, Klaus · Lai, Feili · Liu, Tianxi

Energy and Environmental Sciences 2026

Specifications

Cycling stability

{'zh': '2800', 'en': '2800'} h

Average Coulombic efficiency

{'zh': '99.3', 'en': '99.3'} %

Capacity retention

{'zh': '100', 'en': '100'} %

Advantages

Suppresses dendrites

Sophorolipid promotes oriented Zn(101) deposition, preventing dendrite penetration and short circuits.

Interfacial protection

Unassembled SL molecules form a protective interfacial layer that excludes free water, reducing side reactions.

Faster transport

SL micelles confine Zn2+ through multivalent dipole interactions, weakening the solvation shell and enhancing transport kinetics.

Applications

• Zinc-ion batteries：Solves Zn anode instability for long-lasting batteries.
• Aqueous energy storage：Enhances safety in aqueous systems for grid storage.
• Electrodeposition：Controls Zn deposition morphology for uniform coatings.
• Surfactants：Uses surfactant self-assembly to tune electrolyte environment.