Recent advances in aqueous zinc-sulfur batteries: overcoming challenges for sustainable energy storage

Rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) have garnered widespread attention due to their low cost, non-flammability, eco-friendliness, and abundant anode element content, with the potential to supplant lithium-ion batteries. Nevertheless, their development is hindered by zinc dendrite growth, corrosion passivation, the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and active material decomposition, severely impairing the cycling lifespan and coulombic efficiency of AZIBs. As a cathode material, sulfur offers superior theoretical capacity, non-toxicity, and lower cost compared to traditional aqueous zinc-ion battery active materials, thus compensating for the shortcomings of low discharge capacity and insufficient overall energy density in AZIBs. Although research on aqueous zinc-sulfur batteries (AZSBs) is relatively scarce, their exceptional performance has yielded outstanding results. This paper first reviews the cathode materials and reaction mechanisms of aqueous zinc-sulfur batteries, and then systematically analyzes the pertinent electrochemical performance data following the latest research on electrolyte modification and additive engineering. Subsequently, we discuss and analyze potential solutions to the existing impediments in zinc-sulfur batteries. Finally, based on an analysis of current research findings, we propose future research directions with the aim of providing inspiration to overcome the latent challenges facing aqueous zinc-sulfur batteries.