Metal-organic frameworks and beyond: The road toward zinc-based batteries

[Display omitted] •This review first presents a systematic and in-depth description of structure-performance relationship for MOF-related materials in Zn-air, Zn-ion, Zn-Ni and Zn-I batteries.•This review proposes a holistic and deep understanding of the complex degradation mechanisms, and critically analyzes the possible optimized strategies.•The latest strategies of MOF-related materials in Zn-based batteries are critically overviewed.•An appropriate and comprehensive standard protocol is proposed to gauge the practical viability of MOF-related architectures in zinc-based batteries. With the growing demand for scalable and economical electrochemical energy storage, zinc-based batteries exhibit great prospects as a complement to lithium-ion batteries owing to their multiple advantages, including intrinsic safety, cost-effectiveness and environmental friendliness. However, several drawbacks such as undesirable spontaneous side reactions and zinc dendrites inevitably disrupt zinc plating/stripping process at the electrolyte/anode interface, resulting in the instability of zinc metal anode, which thus hampers the practical application of zinc-based batteries. Currently, metal–organic framework (MOF)-related architectures have emerged as potential candidates for zinc-based batteries on account of their high porosity, tunable structures, and multiple functions. Herein, the latest research progress of MOF-related materials on various zinc-based batteries is systematically summarized. To begin with, the advantages of applying MOF-related architectures in zinc-based batteries are clarified. Next, the structure-performance relationships of MOF-related materials as bifunctional catalysts in zinc-air batteries and electrode modification materials for zinc ion batteries are highlighted. Finally, some existing challenges and future perspectives faced by MOF-related architectures in zinc-based batteries are described. It is expected that this review will inspire more innovative research on MOF-related materials in zinc-based batteries, and provide scientific guidance for future technologies in energy conversion and storage.