Paving pathway for reliable cathodes development in aqueous aluminum-ion batteries:a mini review

The cost and limited availability of lithium resources have encouraged researchers to explore nextgeneration batteries.Among the emerging batteries systems,aqueous aluminum-ion batteries（AAIBs） stand as appealing electrochemical storage systems due to the high theoretical volume density,abundant resources and inherent safety of aluminum.Although substantial endeavors have been dedicated to AAIBs development,the narrow electrochemical window of aqueous electrolyte,hydrogen evolution reaction of aluminum electrode,low energy density and inferior cycle stability still hinder the development of AAIBs.Among these,the development of highenergy density and stable cathode materials is particularly significant.However,there exists considerable challenge remaining in devising cathode materials,which is mainly ascribed to the pronounced electrostatic repulsion from the inherently high charge density of Al3+.Therefore,this review comprehensively reviews recent advancements in the AAIBs cathodes,with a special focus on energy storage mechanism of different kinds of cathodes.Ultimately,it elucidates the primary challenges toward achieving highperformance AAIBs and outlines future research prospects.