Review—Advanced Secondary Batteries with Multi-Electron Reaction of Light Elements

Despite secondary lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are currently sought after in many application fields, the exploration of high specific-energy secondary batteries is persistent. Innovative electrode materials and batteries that have higher specific energy than current commercial LIBs have attracted great enthusiasm. As the utilization of secondary batteries expands into increasingly significant and extensive application domains, the demand for these batteries will be substantial. Consequently, the reserves and distribution of raw materials required for battery production are receiving equivalent attention to the electrochemical performance. The multi-electron reaction electrode based on light elements rich in the earth's crust, featuring high theoretical specific capacity and low cost, paves an alternative path for the development and application of high specific energy secondary batteries in the future. The related representative batteries that are extensively studied include multi-electron reaction lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries, oxygen and sulfur cathodes combined with lithium metal anode, and multivalent light metal (Mg, Al) ion batteries. This review contains a brief research update on multi-electron reaction electrode materials for secondary batteries, combining the reaction mechanism of the materials and the state-of-the-art battery performance. Moreover, the current challenges facing these electrodes and the latest countermeasures proposed are also discussed.