One of the key determinants of the lifespan of a battery – Aqueous or otherwise, is Anode. The new study shows how free water contributes to these parasitic reactions and how zinc sulfate reduces the amount of free water in the battery. Free water describes water molecules that are not strongly bonded with other molecules. Aqueous batteries are gaining significant global attention as a sustainable solution for large-scale energy storage and are projected to exceed a market size of $10 billion by 2030. KAUST Professors Omar Mohammed, Osman Bakr, Xixiang Zhang, and Mani Sarathy also contributed to the study.