As aqueous zinc metal batteries (AZMBs) move from lab curiosities toward commercial packs, the true culprits behind early failure have remained blurred by over-simplified test cells. A UCL–SCUT–Imperial team led by Dr. Guanjie He and Dr. Haobo Dong now delivers the clearest real-time pictures yet, using high-energy synchrotron X-ray radiography to watch Zn plating, dendrites and hydrogen bubbles inside configurations that actually mimic coin, pouch and prismatic formats. Their findings flip the conventional wisdom: when cells are densely packed—as they would be in your pocket—the anode is far better behaved than textbook “open” cells suggest, and cathode-side decay steals the limelight.
Why This Matters
Innovative Setup & First Glimpse
Future Outlook
The imaging platform is now being coupled with phase-contrast tomography to quantify cathode current-collector detachment and electrolyte dry-out in 3D. Expect the next wave of AZMB chemistries—V 2 O 5 , MnO 2 and even NASICON cathodes—to be screened first in this “truth-telling” cell, slashing trial-and-error by directly visualizing where and when the real damage occurs.
Nano-Micro Letters
News article
In‑Operando X‑Ray Imaging for Sobering Examination of Aqueous Zinc Metal Batteries
1-Dec-2025