Positioning versatile inorganic cathode materials in the aqueous zinc-ion battery landscape

Rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) have attracted great attention due to their inherent advantages such as high safety, low cost, and environmental friendliness, making them one of the most promising alternatives to traditional lithium-ion batteries. The rational design and continuous optimization of versatile inorganic cathode materials play a crucial role in achieving practical applications. In this review, we first systematically classify inorganic cathode materials and their design strategies, including manganese oxides with rich redox chemistry, vanadium compounds with multiple oxidation states, Prussian blue analogues with open skeleton channels, layered transition metal disulfides with unique interlayer ion storage capabilities, and halogens with reversible multielectron capacity. Furthermore, the structural characteristics, electrochemical performances, and crucial improvement methods of these cathode materials are discussed in detail. Finally, we outline the challenges and the prospects of inorganic cathodes in AZIBs to guide the future development of next-generation energy communities.