Nian Qingshun, Yang Xinru, Hong Hu, Chen Peng, Zhao Yuwei, Lv Haiming, Zhi Chunyi
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China.
Hong Kong Institute for Advanced Study, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China.
Nanoscale Horiz. 2025 Aug 21;10(9):1932-1955. doi: 10.1039/d5nh00172b.
Aqueous zinc (Zn) batteries (AZBs) are becoming promising candidates for grid-scale energy storage because of their inherent safety, cost-effectiveness, and high theoretical capacity. However, their widespread application is hindered by critical challenges, including Zn dendrite formation, hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), corrosion, and cathode material dissolution. The separator plays a crucial role in regulating ion transport, suppressing side reactions, and promoting uniform Zn deposition. While recent advancements in separator design have introduced various modification strategies to enhance electrochemical performance, a systematic classification based on the modification location remains lacking. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of recent advancements in AZB separators, categorized by modification position-anode side, cathode side, and full-separator modifications. Key modification strategies, including ion-selective layers, interfacial engineering, and composite functional membranes, are discussed in detail, with an emphasis on their effects on Zn flux regulation, dendrite suppression, and long-term cycling stability. Additionally, emerging separator materials such as covalent organic frameworks (COFs), metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), and inorganic-organic hybrid separators are highlighted for their potential in optimizing battery performance. By elucidating the underlying mechanisms governing separator modifications, this review provides theoretical insights and design principles for the development of next-generation AZB separators. Finally, we discuss future research directions, focusing on separator thinness, enhanced ion selectivity, interface stability, corrosion resistance, and scalable manufacturing to accelerate the commercialization of high-performance AZBs.
水系锌（Zn）电池（AZB）因其固有的安全性、成本效益和高理论容量，正成为电网规模储能的有前景的候选者。然而，它们的广泛应用受到关键挑战的阻碍，包括锌枝晶形成、析氢反应（HER）、腐蚀和阴极材料溶解。隔膜在调节离子传输、抑制副反应和促进锌的均匀沉积方面起着关键作用。虽然隔膜设计的最新进展引入了各种改性策略来提高电化学性能，但基于改性位置的系统分类仍然缺乏。本文综述对AZB隔膜的最新进展进行了全面分析，按改性位置分为阳极侧、阴极侧和全隔膜改性。详细讨论了关键改性策略，包括离子选择性层、界面工程和复合功能膜，重点介绍了它们对锌通量调节、枝晶抑制和长期循环稳定性的影响。此外，还强调了新兴的隔膜材料，如共价有机框架（COF）、金属有机框架（MOF）和无机-有机混合隔膜在优化电池性能方面的潜力。通过阐明隔膜改性的潜在机制，本文综述为下一代AZB隔膜的开发提供了理论见解和设计原则。最后，我们讨论了未来的研究方向，重点是隔膜的薄度、增强的离子选择性、界面稳定性、耐腐蚀性和可扩展制造，以加速高性能AZB的商业化。
