Covalent Organic Frameworks for Next-Generation Batteries

The demand for energy storage is increasing with the development of an electronic society. A key to improving the electrochemical performance of advanced batteries is to develop advanced electrode materials. Currently, electrode studies mainly focus on the development of materials with a high energy density and high power density by regulating the morphological structure, but most of the electrodes are inorganic materials, which may bring serious problems, such as high recycling costs and environmental pollution. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) that are environmentally friendly and possess adjustable structures have become a series of promising organic electrode materials for rechargeable advanced batteries and have attracted great attention in recent years. Precisely customized COFs can be achieved by adjusting the pore size and pore configuration and introducing functional groups into the framework through pre-synthesis and post-synthesis strategies, and these methods provide the possibility of obtaining high-performance organic electrode materials. In this review, the latest research progress and perspective on using COFs as electrode materials for next-generation batteries, including sodium-ion batteries, potassium-ion batteries, lithium-sulfur batteries, lithium-metal batteries, zinc-ion batteries, magnesium-ion batteries, and aluminum-ion batteries, are summarized. The relative energy-storage mechanism, advantages and challenges of COF electrodes, as well as the corresponding strategies used to achieve better electrochemical performances, are also presented.