Stepwise Kinetics Promotion for High‐Rate Aqueous Zn Metal Batteries

ABSTRACT Metallic zinc anodes in aqueous zinc batteries suffer from uncontrolled dendrite growth and parasitic side reactions, leading to poor cycling stability, especially under high‐rate and high‐capacity conditions. Herein, we proposed a stepwise kinetics promotion process to achieve high‐rate and durable Zn metal anodes, in which the desolvation, bulk transfer, and deposition steps of Zn 2+ are systematically considered and synergistically regulated. Experimental and computational analyses reveal that N‐methyl morpholine‐N‐oxide (NMMO) molecular regulator captures—rather than substitutes—coordinated water molecules in the Zn 2+ solvation sheath, thereby suppressing Zn corrosion and hydrogen evolution without increasing desolvation barriers. Furthermore, the strong interaction between NMMO and free water reconstructs the hydrogen‐bond network, creating an unimpeded proton‐transport channel that accelerates Zn 2+ bulk transfer. Additionally, the preferential adsorption of the NMMO molecule on non‐(101) Zn facets promotes the selective exposure of highly active Zn (101) texture, boosting Zn deposition kinetics. Consequently, Zn||Zn symmetrical cell delivers exceptional lifespan— over 6100 h at 5 mA cm −2 and 1300 h at 30 mA cm −2 —with low overpotentials. Notably, the Zn anodes still maintain stable cycling even at a 70% depth of discharge and ensure stable operation of full cells with a low negative/positive capacity ratio of 2.1.