Design-driven innovation in zinc-air battery architecture: Toward flexible, wearable, and grid-scale applications

Rechargeable zinc–air batteries (RZABs) offer high energy density, low cost, and environmental safety, positioning them as leading candidates for next-generation electrochemical energy storage. However, conventional ZABs lack the mechanical flexibility required for integration into wearable devices, electronic textiles, and soft robotics. The main scope of this review is the rational presentation of driven innovations in RZABs for applications as flexible, wearable devices and grid-scale electrochemical energy storage systems. A section dedicated to cross-disciplinary approaches and emerging fabrication techniques, with an emphasis on their influence in advancing stability, scalability, and biocompatibility, is summarized herein. Finally, outlooks on sustainability, commercialization, and future advancement of the RZABs towards practical large-scale applications are recapitulated. • A comprehensive and systematic review on flexible and stretchable zinc-air batteries is given. • Focusing on design-driven innovation in catalysts, cathodes, and zinc anode engineering. • The challenges and potential applications of flexible and stretchable ZABs have been outlined. • Achieving safe, deformable, and flexible devices through gel and solid electrolytes were demonstrated. • The enhanced performance and durability with sustainable and bio-inspired materials is discussed. • Outline strategies towards scalable ZABs for wearables and grid storage applications are mentioned. • Incorporation of computational and machine-learning tools for catalyst design.