Recent progresses of non-oxide manganese and vanadium cathode materials for aqueous zinc ion batteries

With the over-consumption of non-renewable energy, green and clean renewable energy is inevitably the choice in modern society. In particular, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have been widely used in automobiles, aviation and other fields due to their high energy density and other advantages. However, lithium reserves are limited, and LIBs have safety hazards, so the development of alternative rechargeable batteries cannot be delayed. Aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs) have a high theoretical specific capacity while ensuring safety, and have been intensively investigated in recent years. The advancement of cathode materials is essential for AZIBs. In this article, the recent development of non-oxide manganese and vanadium cathode materials such as MnS, MnHCF, VN, VSe2 and VS2 for AZIBs is critically reviewed. The emerging strategies for modifying these cathode materials for enhanced electrochemical performance are critically analyzed. Finally, some important achievements of this research field are summarized, and the challenges and future research directions are presented. We hope that this article can shed light on the development of AZIBs.