Electrochemical Batteries and Their Synergy with Plant Photosynthesis: Advances, Challenges, and Unexplored Frontiers

The rising urgency for sustainable and well-organized energy storage solutions has intensified interest in hybridizing electrochemical batteries with biological systems, particularly plant photosynthesis. This review thoroughly inspects the foundational principles of electrochemical energy storage, the latest advances in battery chemistries, including lithium-ion, sodium-ion, and redox flow systems and their critical limitations in sustainability, scalability, and safety. We discover the unique advantages and mechanistic details of integrating plant photosynthetic processes with electrochemical devices, highlighting the unparalleled self-regeneration, aqueous compatibility, and bio-inspired charge transfer pathways intrinsic to photosynthetic complexes. Current breakthroughs in biohybrid architectures demonstrate auspicious synergies, such as phloem sap functioning as a natural electrolyte and photorespiration byproducts serving as renewable energy substrates. However, significant challenges remain, encircling biological-electrochemical interface stability, nanotoxicity, ecological impacts, and the spatial-temporal mismatch between photosynthetic rhythms and battery operation. This review critically assesses also failed approaches, identifies key knowledge gaps including ecological oversight, benchmarking deficiencies, and scalability constraints and outlines emerging strategies leveraging nanomaterials, genetic engineering, and machine learning to bridge these divides. By defining the frontier of bioelectrochemical research, this review offers a roadmap toward next-generation energy storage technologies that harmonize biological efficiency with electrochemical robustness, setting a foundation for transformative advances in sustainable energy.