Zinc is an ideal energy carrier due to its high energy density, low cost, and environmental friendliness. However, dendrite growth during plating/stripping hinders the practical application of zinc-based secondary batteries. Although inhibition strategies have been proposed in recent years to eliminate the negative effects of zinc dendrites, the problem of dendrite growth is still unresolved. Therefore, understanding the formation mechanism of zinc dendrites is necessary to guide the inhibition strategies of zinc dendrite growth. The mechanism of zinc dendrite growth is investigated, and the related inhibition strategies are summarized in this review. First, the physicochemical properties of zinc and the advantages and disadvantages of zinc electrodes are described in detail. Second, the nucleation and dendrite growth of zinc are analyzed based on the existing theoretical models of zinc dendrite growth, pointing out the key factors affecting the nucleation and growth behavior of zinc dendrites. Thirdly, the measures to optimize the electric field distribution on the electrode surface are summarized, enhancing the migration of zinc ions and dendrite-free zinc deposition. Last, the challenges and the expectations for zinc-based batteries in the future development are presented.

锌因其高能量密度，低成本和环境友好性而成为理想的能量载体。然而，在镀覆/剥离过程中枝晶的生长阻碍了锌基二次电池的实际应用。尽管近年来提出了抑制策略以消除锌枝晶的负面影响，但枝晶生长的问题仍未解决。因此，了解锌枝晶的形成机理对于指导锌枝晶生长的抑制策略很有必要。研究了锌枝晶生长的机理，并综述了相关的抑制策略。首先，详细描述锌的物理化学性质以及锌电极的优缺点。第二，在现有锌枝晶生长理论模型的基础上，对锌的形核和枝晶生长进行了分析，指出了影响锌枝晶形核和生长行为的关键因素。第三，总结了优化电极表面电场分布的措施，以增强锌离子的迁移和无枝晶状的锌沉积。最后，介绍了锌基电池在未来发展中的挑战和期望。