Sciento-qualitative study of zinc-iodine energy storage systems

Zinc-iodine batteries have gained attention recently as promising energy storage systems (ESSs) due to their high energy density, low cost, non-toxicity, and environmental friendliness - making them a favorable alternative to conventional energy storage systems. Even though literature abounds on zinc-iodine batteries, very few studies have attempted to map the global research on Zinc-iodine ESS to discover geographical collaboration networks and research trends. This sciento-qualitative study analyzed the research trends in zinc-iodine ESS using data from Scopus on zinc-iodine ESS. By this method, the most frequently occurring keywords, authors, papers with the most citations, and states that have made the greatest contribution to the field of zinc-iodine ESSs were examined. A total of 161 articles spanning 2003–2023 were analyzed and a total of 8 publications materialized between 2003 and 2008, making this period an emerging phase; followed by the tempo phase from 2009 to 2016 (a total of 26 publications), and the rapid growth phase from 2017 to 2023 having an exponential increase (R² = 0.6608) of 127 publications. China has the most publications, citations, and cross-continental collaborations. Aside from the Department of Chemistry at Ku Leuven in Belgium, all the top institutions researching zinc-iodine ESSs are in China, with Shandong University's Key Laboratory for Colloid and Interface Chemistry having the most publications and citations. More so, recent progress in the fabrication of zinc-iodine ESSs focusing on anode and cathode materials, electrolytes, and device architecture has been presented. Finally, the challenges and opportunities for the development of zinc-iodine batteries are discussed, highlighting the need for further optimization of electrode materials and device architecture to achieve high efficiency, long cycle life, and cost-effective production. This sciento-qualitative study will help researchers find institutions of interest for collaborations, create new alliances, share ground-breaking technologies, and give important direction for the advancement of zinc-iodine ESS.