Phosphate Group Induced High‐Voltage Materials: A Promising Cathode for Various Aqueous Batteries

Aqueous batteries exhibit considerable potential for large-scale energy storage systems due to their inherent safety, environmental compatibility, and cost-effectiveness. Among various candidate electrodes, phosphate group induced cathode materials have been widely investigated in aqueous batteries due to their stable frameworks and high operating voltages. Nevertheless, issues including limited specific capacity, sluggish ion kinetics, and low electronic conductivity impede their further advancement. To systematically address these challenges, this review summarizes the latest research progress on phosphate cathode materials for aqueous batteries over the past decade. The review begins by presenting the structural characteristics of three representative phosphate materials, including NASICON-type, layered, and olivine-type structures, together with their electrochemical challenges and relevant modification approaches. Then, the applications of phosphate group induced cathode materials in different aqueous battery systems are further examined, along with recent advances in material design and electrochemical performance. Finally, future perspectives are discussed, emphasizing conductivity enhancement, oxygen-redox-enabled capacity expansion, and sulfate-containing polyanion design. AI-assisted screening, rational introduction of oxygen non-bonding state, extending induce effect to sulfate group should be the promising strategies to achieve the further enhancement on the battery performance of induced-effect based cathodes.