Solidifying the future: Metal-organic frameworks in zinc battery development

Zinc batteries offer distinct advantages owing to their notable safety profile, cost-effectiveness, and environmental friendliness. The zinc anode, in particular, stands out as a promising material for aqueous zinc batteries due to its array of benefits, including its lower potential, favorable cost, higher specific capacity, increased potential for hydrogen release, non-reactive properties, natural abundance, and ease of processing. However, the uncontrolled growth of zinc dendrites, electrolyte-induced damage, significant volume changes, and unstable interfaces have thus far impeded their commercial viability, posing obstacles to their further advancement. Recent efforts have focused on addressing these challenges through the utilization of structures derived from metals and their derivatives, resulting in significant progress regarding zinc anode issues. Strategies such as stabilization through metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and their derivatives, solid-state electrolyte development, anode decoration, separator enhancement, and interface engineering have shown promise in stabilizing zinc anodes. The incorporation of these advancements could greatly benefit large-scale energy storage systems, capitalizing on zinc batteries' exceptional safety, high capacity, affordability, and sustainability. Moreover, the unique properties of MOFs, including their ability to facilitate zinc ion transportation, large specific surface area, and highly porous topology, have garnered increased attention for their application in zinc ion batteries. This review aims to comprehensively explore the structural components of zinc batteries based on previous research contributions, encompassing pure metal structures, metal oxides, porous carbon materials, and their compounds. In particular, the review delves into the utilization of MOFs-based materials as interfaces for solid electrolytes, separators, three-dimensional zinc architectures, and solid-state electrolytes to enhance the cyclic stability of zinc anodes. Additionally, it examines the role of conductive MOFs across various categories of zinc-based batteries, highlighting their functionality, efficacy, and existing challenges. Finally, the review offers insights into the potential future advancements in this field, outlining the prospects for further harnessing the capabilities of conductive MOFs.