Spreading the full spectrum of layer-structured compounds for kinetics-enhanced aqueous multivalent metal-ion batteries

The highly booming of grid-scale and intermittent energy system pressurizes fast reaction dynamics in energy storage and conversion systems. Construction of aqueous rechargeable multivalent metal-ion batteries is a promising solution as the ionic diffusivity in aqueous electrolyte is generally elevated with 1–2 orders of magnitude as compared with the organic electrolyte. Supplementarily, the aqueous electrolyte is commonly safe free of explosion and inexpensiveness. Layer-structured compounds are regarded as one of the ascendent active materials for aqueous multivalent metal-ion batteries owing to their steerable interlayer spacing. However, their practical implementation is hindered by the existing inevitable challenges, such as active materials dissolution, structural collapse, low electrical conductivity, etc. This review highlights on the application of layer-structured materials in aqueous rechargeable multivalent metal-ions batteries, furthermore, primarily focusing on clarification of the reaction mechanism and improved strategies are also discussed in detail, which thereof offers an insightful guideline for the future development of layer-structured compounds in electrochemical energy storage.