Advancements in biomass-derived single-metal-doped nanostructured carbon electrocatalysts and electrode materials for rechargeable zinc-air batteries

Rechargeable zinc-air batteries (RZABs) are vital for advancing sustainable energy storage technologies. Renewable single-metal-doped nanostructured carbon from biomass offers promising electrocatalysts and electrodes, enabling efficient oxygen reactions for sustainable battery technologies. This review exemplifies the prospective possibility of using carbonized biomass in the advancement of sustainable energy storage, thereby initiating an avenue toward higher efficiency and environmentally friendly RZABs. This review examines various synthetic charring methods, structural features of single-metal-doped materials compared with traditional catalysts, and their electrochemical performance toward secondary zinc-air batteries' efficiency, stability, cyclability, and durability, as well as general performance, which is directly related to their cost. Finally, it discusses the research gaps and future directions, underlining the research that needs to optimize the synthesis methods and to reveal in detail the structure-activity relationships of biomass carbons toward the proposed electrocatalytic applications.