The propensity of Zn‐metal anodes to form non‐uniform or dendritic electrodeposits is bound up with the nature of the electrode surface. However, the effect of surface structure on the inherent nucleation and deposition of Zn is not yet well understood. Here, the surface structure of a Zn‐metal anode is reconstructed with Sn‐crystal textures via a facile chemical displacement reaction. Compared to the bare Zn, the high‐affinity Zn binding sites of Sn afford lower deposition energy barrier, which promotes deposition kinetics. What is more, a Sn‐textured surface with moderate Zn affinity but high average surface energy ensures a better wettability from the deposits, leading to the lateral growth of Zn crystals. The resultant Sn‐textured Zn‐metal anode exhibits an extremely low voltage hysteresis of 20 mV and achieves a prolonged cycling stability over 500 h cycles without dendrite formation. This work provides new insights into the crystal‐texture‐dependent Zn electrodeposition process and offers direction for direct surface texturing to better stabilize Zn‐metal anodes with improved reversibility.

Titanium and its alloys are dominant material for orthopedic/dental implants due to their stable chemical properties and good biocompatibility. However, aseptic loosening and peri-implant infection remain problems that may lead to implant removal eventually. The ideal orthopedic implant should possess both osteogenic and antibacterial properties and do proper assistance to in situ inflammatory cells for anti-microbe and tissue repair. Recent advances in surface modification have provided various strategies to procure the harmonious relationship between implant and its microenvironment. In this review, we provide an overview of the latest strategies to endow titanium implants with bio-function and anti-infection properties. We state the methods they use to preparing these efficient surfaces and offer further insight into the interaction between these devices and the local biological environment. Finally, we discuss the unmet needs and current challenges in the development of ideal materials for bone implantation.

As promising anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, titanium− niobium oxides still suffer from the bottleneck of ion transport, which severely limits their practical usage. In this work, the ion-transport kinetics of micrometersized Ti 2 Nb 10 O 29 is improved by crystallinity mediation. The crystallinity of Ti 2 Nb 10 O 29 is intrinsically reduced through cation substitution (Nb 5+ → Ti 4+ and W 6+ ), with Ti 2.5 Nb 9 W 0.5 O 29 obtained. The amorphous phases not only optimize the ion transport through isotropic ion diffusion path but also introduce more oxygen vacancies, which can serve as nucleation sites for phase changing and improve electron conductivity. As a result, Ti 2.5 Nb 9 W 0.5 O 29 exhibits superior kinetics and remarkable rate performance. Even with large particle sizes from 5 to 20 μm, Ti 2.5 Nb 9 W 0.5 O 29 can achieve a reversible specific capacity of 110 mAh g −1 at a high current density of 10 A g −1 , much higher than Ti 2 Nb 10 O 29 (11.1 mAh g −1 ). This work provides a novel view for the development of practical, high-performance anode materials for LIBs.

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