Recent advances of organic polymers for zinc-ion batteries

Abstract

Rechargeable zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) have been suggested as promising candidates for large-scale energy storage because of their environmental friendliness, substantial reserve, high safety, and low cost. Nevertheless, ZIBs still face several crucial challenges. The uncontrolled Zinc (Zn) dendrite growth, hydrogen evolution, and severe corrosion arising from the side reactions between Zn metal anodes and aqueous electrolytes significantly hamper the practical application of ZIBs. Many important strategies have been developed to modify Zn anodes. In these strategies, organic polymers have played important roles in stabilizing the Zn anode due to their excellent flexibility, high mechanical property, and good hydrophilicity. However, there are no reviews to supply a comprehensive summary of the application of organic polymers in Zn anode protection. In this review, we describe the challenges of rechargeable Zn anodes and present a comprehensive overview of the latest progress for organic polymers in constructing anode protective layers and developing polymer electrolytes. Finally, our perspective to develop high-performance rechargeable ZIBs using organic polymers is proposed.