Organic materials-based cathode for zinc ion battery

The quest for advanced energy storage devices with cheaper, safer, more resource-abundant storage has triggered intense research into zinc ion batteries (ZIBs). Among them, organic materials as cathode materials for ZIBs have attracted great interest due to their flexible structure designability, high theoretical capacity, environmental friendliness, and sustainability. Although numerous organic electrode materials have been studied and different redox mechanisms have been proposed in the past decade, their electrochemical performance still needs further improvement, and the mechanisms require further exploration. This paper provides a systematical overview of three types of organic materials (bipolar-type conductive polymer, n-type conjugated carbonyl compounds, and p-type material) on the energy storage mechanisms and distinct characteristics. We then focus on discussing the design strategies to improve electrochemical performance. Furthermore, the challenges and future research directions are discussed to provide a foundation for further developing organic-based ZIBs.