Open challenges and good experimental practices in the research field of aqueous Zn-ion batteries

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries are realistic candidates as stationary storage systems for power-grid applications. However, to accelerate their commercialization, some important challenges must be specifically tackled, and appropriate experimental practices need to be embraced to align the academic research efforts with the realistic industrial working conditions for stationary storage. Within this commentary article, both the open challenges and the good experimental practices are discussed in relation to their impact on the future development of the aqueous Zn-ion technology. Aqueous Zn-based batteries represent a viable and cost-effective technology for electricity grid storage. Here, the authors discuss the most challenging aspects to bridge academic and industrial research and accelerate the adoption of this class of devices on a large scale.