MOF/COF-integrated strategies for aqueous zinc batteries: recent progress, modification approaches, and future guidelines

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) are promising for energy storage, yet challenges like dendrite growth, corrosion, and low coulombic efficiency (CE) hinder their practicality. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have emerged as versatile materials to address these issues due to their designable porous structures, tunable surface properties, and high stability. This review summarizes the cutting-edge advancements of MOFs and COFs in AZIBs, which are mainly divided into two aspects: (1) adjustments to the intrinsic physical structures of MOFs and COFs, such as pore size, functional groups and the metal species in porous frameworks, and (2) modifications to battery components, including separators, cathodes/anodes and electrolytes. From diverse perspectives, these viewpoints propose solutions to the existing challenges in AZIBs, effectively enhancing battery performance. Meanwhile, this article constructs a structure–performance–material logical framework centered on MOFs/COFs for AZIBs and offers viable guidelines for next-generation MOF/COF-integrated energy storage systems. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2025