As next-generation rechargeable alternatives, zinc-based energy storage devices (ZESs) are being intensely explored due to their merits of abundant resource, low cost, safety and environmental benignity. However, ZESs face a succession of critical challenges on pursuing advancing performance, including the stability and kinetics of cathode, stability and transport of zinc electrolyte, reversibility and deep utilization of metallic Zn anode. Biomass, possessing unique molecular structures with abundant functionals groups, motivates the interdisciplinary field emerging from biomass and aqueous rechargeable battery. Concerning its high compatibility with ZES design, we here summarize the application of biomass materials in ZESs from the aspects of cathode, electrolyte, membrane/separator and Zn anode, with their corresponding operational mechanisms and attractive functionalities from polymeric structures. Accordingly, the outlooks and perspectives are provided, regarding current challenges and future directions. We anticipate our minireview paves way on exploring the roles of biomass in aqueous rechargeable batteries.

Given the increasing attention to the safety issues of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and the continuous rise in the price of lithium and its compounds, it is urgent to explore innovative electrochemical energy device alternatives to LIBs. Major efforts have been devoted to developing rechargeable aluminum-ion batteries (AIBs), owing to their low cost and high energy density derived from the 3-electron redox reaction. Moreover, the dendrite-free plating behavior with room-temperature ionic liquid electrolytes endows AIBs with great safety expectations. A marked hurdle persists in the quest for appropriate cathode materials that can effectively accommodate aluminum ion species in AIBs. This review aims to deliver an integrated overview of the state-of-the-art cathode materials for nonaqueous and aqueous AIBs, with a special emphasis on their underlying electrochemical interaction with electrolytes. The strategies adopted to improve the specific capacity and cyclic performances of AIBs are highlighted. Furthermore, future perspectives of AIBs are discussed.

Electrolyte regulation plays its critical role in addressing the reversibility issue of metallic Zn anode towards high-performance aqueous zinc ion batteries. In view of the flourish electrolyte additive approach, the review is organized to discuss the influence of electrolyte additive on the electrolyte-Zn chemistry for the representative zinc electrolytes. Accordingly, the effects of electrolyte additives on the fundamental physicochemical properties of electrolytes, Zn surface, and Zn deposition are discussed and summarized. Based on the revealed roles of additives in interface reaction across current literature, we further provide outlook and perspective on current issues of the additive approach and potential directions.