Emerging organic cathodes and design strategies for aqueous zinc–organic batteries

Organic cathodes have emerged as promising alternatives to inorganic materials for aqueous zinc–organic batteries (ZOBs) owing to their structural tunability, sustainability, and rich redox chemistry. This review highlights the potential of organic cathodes for ZOBs, emphasizing their unique capability to address the challenges faced by conventional inorganic cathodes. We systematically examine the correlations between molecular design principles and performance-enhancement strategies, including hybrid material construction, molecular engineering, and artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted optimization. The ion-storage mechanisms of organic materials, encompassing Zn 2+ , H + , and anion co-storage, are also comprehensively discussed. To overcome intrinsic limitations, recent research employs rational molecular design approaches—including the polymerizing organic small molecules, constructing conjugate structures, modifying redox functional groups, and forming composites with carbon materials—to markedly enhance the capacity, cycling stability, and redox reversibility of organic cathodes. Overall, this review underscores the transformative potential of organic cathodes for advancing next-generation ZOBs and advocates interdisciplinary collaboration to fully realize their promise for sustainable energy applications. • Systematically summarizes organic cathode design principles and ion-storage mechanisms in aqueous zinc–organic batteries. • Elucidates structure–performance relationships linking molecular engineering to capacity, stability, and kinetics. • Outlines future directions for integrating molecular design, advanced characterization, and AI-guided strategies to achieve practical and sustainable aqueous zinc–organic batteries.