Biomimetic design for zinc-based energy storage devices: principles, challenges and opportunities

Abstract

The growing demand for safe, sustainable, and cost-effective energy storage technologies has accelerated the development of zinc-based energy storage (ZES) devices, which leverage aqueous electrolytes to achieve high safety, environmental compatibility, and affordability. Despite their potential and developments, ZES devices face critical challenges such as limited electrode stability, short cycle life, and susceptibility to electrolyte-induced corrosion, which impede their scalability and practical applications. Drawing inspiration from nature, biomimetic design provides innovative strategies to address these limitations by mimicking the hierarchical organization, mechanical robustness, and multifunctionality of biological systems. Herein, this review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in biomimetic designs for aqueous ZES devices, emphasizing how structural, functional, surface and interfacial bionics influence the electrochemical performance of ZES components. Key design principles, including the selection of biomimetic raw materials, construction of bionic structures, and optimization of material properties, are explored in detail. Finally, this review discusses current challenges and future perspectives for advancing ZES technologies through biomimetic principles, offering valuable insights into bridging natural design principles with advanced materials engineering.