Recent progress in covalent organic frameworks for rechargeable zinc-based batteries

The increasing demand for scalable and cost-effective electrochemical energy storage solutions has led to the exploration of zinc-based batteries as promising alternatives to lithium-ion batteries. Zinc-based batteries offer several advantages, including inherent safety, affordability and environmental friendliness. However, challenges are still faced in the development of zinc-based batteries such as undesirable spontaneous side reactions and the formation of zinc dendrites, which disrupt the zinc plating and stripping processes at the electrolyte/anode interface, resulting in the instability of the zinc metal anode. These issues pose practical limitations on the widespread use of zinc-based batteries. Currently, there is significant research into covalent organic framework (COF), which are considered highly promising for various components in zinc-based batteries, including cathodes, anodes, and electrolytes, due to their thermostability, high porosity, tunable structures, and multiple functionalities. This review offers a comprehensive overview of recent progress in COF-related materials for a wide range of applications in zinc-based batteries. Particularly, the superior characteristics of COFs and their suitability for Zn-ion batteries and Zn-air batteries are highlighted. Meanwhile, current challenges, possible solutions and potential future research directions on COFs for zinc-based batteries are discussed, laying the groundwork for future advances for this exciting class of material.