The quest for stable aqueous zinc metal batteries has rightly focused on taming the unruly nature of zinc deposition. Pioneering research has produced a wealth of strategies to achieve uniform zinc plating. While these methods have significantly improved performance in laboratory half-cells, a stubborn performance gap persists when moving to practical full-cells. This chasm points to a fundamental oversight: the critical impact of the anode's initial stripping in a full-cell configuration with zinc-free cathodes. In this perspective, we highlight the pivotal yet underappreciated role of the initial zinc stripping process. We first decipher the operational protocols of zinc-free cathode systems to illustrate how the initial stripping dynamically reshapes the anode and interface. By analyzing the multi-step complexity of stripping, we contrast its mechanistic disparities with plating and assess the limitations of deposition-centric strategies. We then evaluate current approaches that enhance full-cell performance through optimized dissolution. Finally, looking toward future multi-scenario applications, we argue that research must address the intricate coupling among stripping dynamics, chemo-mechano-thermal responses, and the crystallographic properties of zinc anodes. This paradigm shift from a plating-centric view to a full-cycle-oriented is paramount to unlocking the full potential of the zinc metal anode for grid-scale energy storage and beyond.
Guo et al. (Tue,) studied this question.