Metal-Organic Frameworks for Aqueous Zn-Halogen Batteries: Design Strategies and Structure-Performance Relationships

Abstract

Aqueous Zn batteries have recently attracted considerable interest as potential alternatives to Li-ion batteries due to the increasing demand for safe and economical energy storage technologies. Among them, aqueous Zn-halogen batteries (ZHBs) are particularly appealing because of their low cost and the natural abundance of their constituent materials. Nevertheless, practical deployment of ZHBs is still hindered by several critical issues, including the shuttle effect, slow redox reaction kinetics, and the formation of Zn dendrites. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), characterized by high porosity, tunable architectures, and excellent chemical stability, provide a versatile platform to address these challenges. This review summarizes recent progress in MOF-assisted ZHB systems, focusing on their applications in cathodes, anodes, and separators. Furthermore, key strategies for designing MOF-derived materials are discussed, along with structure-performance relationships revealed by advanced characterization techniques and theoretical analyses. Finally, the remaining challenges and future research perspectives are presented to guide the development of high-performance ZHBs with improved energy density and long-term cycle durability.