Recent advances in high-entropy amorphous catalysts for rechargeable zinc-air batteries

Rechargeable zinc-air batteries (RZABs) are promising energy storage systems. However, their performance is limited by sluggish oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) kinetics. This review highlights high-entropy amorphous catalysts (HEACs) as a novel class of bifunctional electrocatalysts that integrate multicomponent synergy with structural disorder. Their structural features, including geometric structural feature and electronic structural features were summarized. Key synthesis strategies including chemical reduction, hydrothermal methods, electrodeposition, and no-equilibrium thermal treatment are also reviewed for their potential in large-scale engineering production. Representative HEACs systems (high-entropy oxides, high-entropy anionic compounds, high-entropy metal-organic frameworks and high-entropy nanocomposites) in RZABs are discussed. HEACs exhibit favorable activity and stability due to reconstruction-driven active site evolution, optimized intermediate adsorption, and synergistic electronic modulation. These insights guide next-generation bifunctional catalyst design and accelerate engineering development of low-cost, long-life RZABs.