Scientists tame rogue protons to supercharge water batteries, achieve 500 rapid cycles

Scientists at KAIST turned a longtime battery problem into a breakthrough by engineering a special electrode that controls the order in which ions enter a water-based zinc battery. By letting zinc ions enter first and protons second, the material avoids damaging buildup, delivering 368.7 mAh/g capacity and surviving 500 rapid charge cycles. This makes safer, cheaper grid-scale energy storage far more practical.