Next-Generation Aluminum-Air Batteries: Integrating New Materials and Technologies for Superior Performance

Aluminum-air batteries (AABs) are positioned as next-generation electrochemical energy storage systems, boasting high theoretical energy density, cost-effectiveness, and a lightweight profile due to aluminum's abundance. This review evaluates the latest advancements in AABs, emphasizing breakthroughs in anode optimization, electrolyte formulation, and cathode material development to enhance performance and scalability for practical applications. Anode improvements, including alloying and surface treatments, reduce parasitic corrosion and improve anode stability, addressing prevailing challenges such as hydrogen evolution and rapid capacity fade. Electrolyte innovations, particularly hybrid systems integrating ionic liquids or neutral salts, are shown to mitigate electrolyte-induced anode degradation while ensuring high ionic conductivity. Meanwhile, advancements in air-breathing cathodes, employing cost-effective materials like doped carbon, transition metal oxides/sulfide, and metal organic framework-derived catalyst, improve oxygen reduction/evolution reaction kinetics and durability, critical for the extended lifespan and efficiency of AABs. These developments collectively enhance AABs viability for applications in electric vehicles and renewable energy storage, highlighting the strategic integration of materials science and electrochemical engineering to address longstanding technical barriers. AABs are thus positioned as viable candidates in the pursuit of sustainable, high-capacity, and long-lasting energy solutions for the future.