Insights into zinc-air battery technological advancements

This review combines a scientometric analysis with a detailed overview of zinc-air battery (ZAB) advances. The ZAB research landscape was critically surveyed using scientometric tools like VOSviewer and Biblioshiny. This analysis covered 10,103 articles from the Web of Science database, revealing the growth evolution, citation analysis, research clusters, and countries' collaboration networks in ZAB research. The results reveal a remarkable annual growth rate of 11.5 %, indicating a major rise in academic interest that invariably highlights ZAB's growing relevance. The leading countries in terms of research productivity include China, the United States, South Korea, Japan, and Australia. Furthermore, the study identifies eight research clusters focusing on electrode optimization, advanced catalysis, electrochemical performance, hydrogen evolution, and the use of biomass and carbon materials, representing the critical areas of investigation in ZABs research. Importantly, the study critically reviewed essential electrochemical mechanisms governing ZABs and also provided novel perspectives on addressing the existing challenges and the mitigating strategies of ZAB components. This research serves as a helpful reference for industry professionals and policymakers looking to push the frontiers of renewable energy technology. Interestingly, the analysis is relevant to global efforts to promote sustainable energy solutions, supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and providing avenues to improve ZAB technology for greater integration into current energy systems. This study makes substantial contributions to ZAB research by outlining a path for future advancements and regulatory frameworks.