Challenges, mitigation strategies and perspectives in development of zinc-electrode materials and fabrication for rechargeable zinc\u2013air batteries

As a promising energy storage device, rechargeable zinc-air battery (RZAB) has drawn increasing attention because of its high energy density, cost-effectiveness, high safety, rich abundance of zinc, as well as environmental benignity. However, the widespread application of RZABs still face considerable challenges derived from zinc-electrodes, electrolytes, and air-electrodes. In this paper, a specific attention is given to RZAB zinc-electrode materials and fabrication with focus on the fundamental understanding of zinc-electrode reaction mechanisms, technical challenges, mitigation strategies, and perspectives. Particularly, the approaches to overcome the challenges are also presented and analyzed for facilitating the further reserach and development of RZABs.Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye