ABSTRACT Zinc‐based flow batteries (ZFBs) have garnered significant attention for stationary energy storage, yet they still face critical inactive zinc accumulation issues, especially at high depth of charge/discharge (DOC/DOD), high areal capacity, and high current density. Efficient and rapid “dead zinc” revitalization chemistry was proposed to address these issues by recovering inactive zinc deposits. Herein, we investigate the synergistic effects of structural and solvation regulation on dihydroxyanthraquinone (DHAQ)‐mediated “dead zinc” revitalization kinetics for ZFBs. 1,5‐DHAQ, featuring two alfa‐position hydroxyl groups, results in a more compact solvation shell and higher zinc affinity to facilitate the diffusion, desolvation, and absorption processes. The optimized 1,5‐DHAQ‐mediated alkaline zinc‐iron flow battery (156 mAh cm −2 ) exhibits ultra‐high cumulative capacity of 88.5 Ah cm −2 and exceptional long‐term stability (>123.5 days). This study highlights the potential of structural and solvation regulation to unlock the capabilities of redox species, offering valuable insights for advancing redox‐mediated zinc chemistry toward long‐duration energy storage.
Chen et al. (Fri,) studied this question.