ABSTRACT Zinc–bromine and zinc–iodine batteries have been widely regarded as promising systems for large‐scale energy storage, yet their practical application is currently hampered by slow redox reactions, low efficiency due to the shuttle effect, and zinc dendrite growth. In this review, we overview the contribution of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and MOF‐derived materials to overcoming these drawbacks. Two typical strategies are presented: assembling pristine MOFs as selective porous barriers to confine polyhalides and MOF‐templated carbon materials, including single‐atom catalysts for enhanced conductivities and fast charge transfer. We show that pristine MOFs exhibit interesting selectivity properties but rarely meet the required chemical stability in acidic electrolytes. However, MOF‐based carbons are more stable and conductive, but their performance requires careful regulation of synthesis conditions to maintain active sites. Overall, it seems most promising to develop bifunctional hosts that are conductive carbon frameworks embedded with single‐atom metal sites, which both trap adsorbed halogen species and catalyze their decomposition. This review highlights the critical developments required to progress from promising electrochemical data in the laboratory to practical high‐capacity battery electrodes.
Bhatti et al. (2026) studied this question.