Challenges, mitigation strategies and perspectives in development of zinc-electrode materials and fabrication for rechargeable zinc-air batteries

As a promising energy storage device, the rechargeable zinc-air battery (RZAB) has attracted increasing attention because of its high energy density, cost-effectiveness, and high safety, and the rich abundance of zinc, as well as its environmental benignity. However, the widespread application of RZABs still faces considerable challenges derived from zinc-electrodes, electrolytes, and air-electrodes. In this paper, specific attention is given to RZAB zinc-electrode materials and fabrication with focus on the fundamental understanding of zinc-electrode reaction mechanisms, technical challenges, mitigation strategies, and perspectives. Particularly, the approaches to overcome the challenges are also presented and analyzed for facilitating further research and development of RZABs.