Volume 61, Issue 17 e202200598
Review

Design Strategies for High-Energy-Density Aqueous Zinc Batteries

Pengchao Ruan

Pengchao Ruan

School of Materials Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Electronic Packaging and Advanced Functional Materials of Hunan Province, Central South University, Changsha, 410083 P. R. China

Search for more papers by this author
Prof. Shuquan Liang

Corresponding Author

Prof. Shuquan Liang

School of Materials Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Electronic Packaging and Advanced Functional Materials of Hunan Province, Central South University, Changsha, 410083 P. R. China

Search for more papers by this author
Prof. Bingan Lu

Prof. Bingan Lu

School of Physics and Electronics, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082 P. R. China

Search for more papers by this author
Prof. Hong Jin Fan

Corresponding Author

Prof. Hong Jin Fan

School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637371 Singapore

Search for more papers by this author
Prof. Jiang Zhou

Corresponding Author

Prof. Jiang Zhou

School of Materials Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Electronic Packaging and Advanced Functional Materials of Hunan Province, Central South University, Changsha, 410083 P. R. China

College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jishou University, Jishou, Hunan, 416000 P. R. China

Search for more papers by this author
First published: 01 February 2022
Citations: 622

Graphical Abstract

Safe, inexpensive aqueous zinc batteries are expected to play a vital role in the next-generation energy storage systems, but they currently display insufficient energy density. This Review articulates the design strategies effective in boosting the capacity, voltage, or both, highlights the challenges, and finally makes suggestions for future research directions.

Abstract

In recent years, the increasing demand for high-capacity and safe energy storage has focused attention on zinc batteries featuring high voltage, high capacity, or both. Despite extensive research progress, achieving high-energy-density zinc batteries remains challenging and requires the synergistic regulation of multiple factors including reaction mechanisms, electrodes, and electrolytes. In this Review, we comprehensively summarize the rational design strategies of high-energy-density zinc batteries and critically analyze the positive effects and potential issues of these strategies in optimizing the electrochemistry, cathode materials, electrolytes, and device architecture. Finally, the challenges and perspectives for the further development of high-energy-density zinc batteries are outlined to guide research towards new-generation batteries for household appliances, low-speed electric vehicles, and large-scale energy storage systems.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

The full text of this article hosted at iucr.org is unavailable due to technical difficulties.