# Activating Progressive Sn2+ Nucleation by Micellar Structure Electrolyte for Dead-Sn-Free Aqueous Batteries

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a method to improve the lifespan of tin anodes in batteries by controlling the nucleation of Sn2+ ions using a micellar structure electrolyte.

## Contribution

The study presents a novel electrolyte design using amphipathic sulfolane to enable progressive Sn2+ nucleation, eliminating dead Sn and enhancing battery performance.

## Key findings

- Progressive Sn2+ nucleation significantly extends the Sn anode lifespan from 710 to 8400 hours.
- The Sn||Mn full battery achieves a stable discharge voltage of ~1.6 V and cycles over 790 times.
- The electrolyte design reduces hydrogen evolution side reactions and improves Coulombic efficiency to 99.97%.

## Abstract

Nanoscale spatial confinement of Sn2+ ions is realized in SnSO4 electrolyte by strategically dictating spontaneous assembly of nanomicelles with amphipathic sulfolane.The sustained release of Sn2+ ions reprograms nucleation from an instantaneous mode to a progressive mode, resulting in a Dead-Sn-free deposition layer that significantly extends the Sn anode life span from 710 to 8400 h.In a dual-electrode-free configuration, the Sn||Mn full battery delivers a high-discharge-voltage plateau at ~1.6 V and exerts stable cycling over 790 cycles.

Nanoscale spatial confinement of Sn2+ ions is realized in SnSO4 electrolyte by strategically dictating spontaneous assembly of nanomicelles with amphipathic sulfolane.

The sustained release of Sn2+ ions reprograms nucleation from an instantaneous mode to a progressive mode, resulting in a Dead-Sn-free deposition layer that significantly extends the Sn anode life span from 710 to 8400 h.

In a dual-electrode-free configuration, the Sn||Mn full battery delivers a high-discharge-voltage plateau at ~1.6 V and exerts stable cycling over 790 cycles.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40820-026-02070-6.

The instantaneous nucleation of Sn originating from the uncontrolled diffusion of Sn2+ ions typically forms large, electrochemically inactive “dead Sn” that severely constraints the plating/stripping reversibility of Sn anode for acidic aqueous batteries. Herein, nanoscale spatial confinement of Sn2+ ions is realized in SnSO4 electrolyte by strategically dictating spontaneous assembly of nanomicelles with amphipathic sulfolane. The as-constructed locally heterogeneous environment ensures the sustainable release of Sn2+ ions, which reprograms the nucleation manner from instantaneous to progressive modes. The consequent progressive formation of Sn nuclei triggers size refinement of electrodeposited Sn, thereby alleviating the “dead Sn” issue. Meanwhile, the reaction competitivity of Sn2+ reduction over hydrogen evolution side reaction is effectively strengthened as the consecutive hydrogen bonding network among bulk water is disrupted by the micellar structure. Consequently, Sn anode exerts an unprecedently high average Coulombic efficiency of 99.97% and witnesses a prominent life span extension from 710 to 8400 h (~ 11-fold enhancement). In a dual-plating configuration, the Sn||Mn full battery delivers a 1.6 V discharge plateau and sustains 790 cycles, demonstrating practical feasibility. Our findings underscore the decisive role of the very initial nucleation behavior in regulating metal electrochemistry, applicable to other multivalent anodes.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40820-026-02070-6.