Recent advances and future perspectives for aqueous zinc-ion capacitors

Abstract

The ion hybrid capacitor is expected to combine the high specific energy of battery-type materials and the superior specific power of capacitor-type materials, being considered as a promising energy storage technique. Particularly, the aqueous zinc-ion capacitors (ZIC) possessing merits of high safety, cost-efficiency and eco-friendliness, have been widely explored with various electrode materials and electrolytes to obtain excellent electrochemical performance. In this review, we first summarized the research progress on enhancing the specific capacitance of capacitor-type materials and reviewed the research on improving the cycling capability of battery-type materials under high current densities. Then, we looked back on the effects of electrolyte engineering on the electrochemical performance of ZIC. Finally, the research challenges and development directions of ZIC have been proposed. This review provides a guidance for the design and construction of the high-performance ZIC.