Advances, challenges, and prospects of atomic layer deposition for zinc-ion batteries: A review

Zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) are emerging battery technology considered one of the most competitive alternatives to conventional batteries. However, their development demands strategic techniques to resolve the main drawbacks of their active electrodes, which caused structural instability and poor electrochemical performance in the long run. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a thin film coating technique boasting its capability for a uniform, precise, and controllable atomic-level deposition of functional materials. Due to these characteristics, several studies harnessed ALD for ZIB fabrication. Understanding the current narrative of ALD in ZIB development is indispensable to realize new perspectives for its progression in the field. Hence, this review provides an overview of the narrative of ALD in energy storage systems such as ZIBs. The discussion revolves around its fundamental principles, current applications, advancements, and the challenges with ALD. This review concludes by underscoring the essential prospects and perspectives for the future application of ALD for ZIB development.