Progress of Aqueous Rechargeable Zn–CO₂ Batteries with a Focus on Cathode Bifunctional Catalysts

Aqueous rechargeable Zn–CO₂ batteries are emerging as a promising technology for sustainable energy storage and carbon dioxide (CO₂) utilization, owing to their high safety, theoretical capacity, and product diversity. Despite their significant theoretical potential, the application of Zn–CO₂ batteries is hindered due to several challenges, including low product-added value, low current density, poor cycle stability, and excessively high overpotential. These issues hinder the widespread use of Zn–CO₂ batteries. Cathode bifunctional catalysts, which can promote the CO₂ reduction reaction while lowering the reaction energy barrier for the oxygen evolution reaction, have garnered research interest in recent years. However, a systematic summary is rarely reported. This review mainly focuses on the cathode catalysts of aqueous rechargeable Zn–CO₂ batteries, summarizing current research progress in terms of devices, reaction mechanisms, and bifunctional catalysts. This review also discusses existing challenges and prospects, offering enlightenment for the future research of Zn–CO₂ batteries. © 2025 The Author(s). Advanced Energy and Sustainability Research published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.