{
  "abstract": "Aqueous rechargeable batteries are promising candidates for large-scale energy storage owing to their inherent safety, low cost, and environmental compatibility, yet the narrow 1.23 V electrochemical stability window (ESW) of water limits their energy density. Since the seminal 2015 report of water-in-salt electrolytes (WiSE), electrolyte engineering—manipulating the molecular environment of water, including its O–H bond strength, hydrogen-bond topology, and interfacial reactivity—has emerged as the central strategy for overcoming this thermodynamic constraint. This review synthesizes the representative studies across Li+, Na+, K+, and Zn2+ chemistries into a unified framework that links the physicochemical fundamentals of aqueous electrolytes (ion solvation, hydrogen-bond networks, the electrical double layer, and ion transport) with five classes of strategies—concentration, solvation-structure, and interface engineering; emerging electrolyte systems (deep eutectic, ionic-liquid–water, asymmetric decoupled, gel, and high-entropy); and practical challenges (wide-temperature operation, cost, and scalability). Examining unresolved controversies—the thermodynamic versus kinetic origin of ESW expansion in WiSE, the long-term chemical persistence of aqueous solid electrolyte interphases, and the definitional boundary of aqueous batteries—this review proposes a research roadmap spanning multi-strategy orthogonal integration and standardized evaluation protocols, providing both a tutorial for newcomers and a critical reference for researchers pursuing practical high-voltage aqueous batteries.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yancheng Institute of Technology, Yancheng 224051, China",
    "Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Coastal Photovoltaic Technology and System, Yancheng Institute of Technology, Yancheng 224051, China"
  ],
  "article_type": "review article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 9,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Yong-Gang Sun",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-2123-7408"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Yi-Han Zhang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Jian Xiong"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Jin-Yi Ding"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Yu Hu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Xin Wang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Jun-Yu Zhao"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Hao-Jie Fan"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Song Chen"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0jqta9rwpkkx8.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3390/molecules31203721",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13707412/?tool=EBI",
  "id": "0jqta9rwpkkx8",
  "issns": [
    "1420-3049"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/31/20/3721",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2208|Advanced battery technologies research"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7222534995",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13707412/pdf/?tool=EBI",
  "pmcid": "PMC13707412",
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-01",
  "publisher": "MDPI AG",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0jqta9rwpkkx8.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:18:42Z",
      "native_id": "10.3390/molecules31203721",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/31/20/3721"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:21:47Z",
      "native_id": "PMC:PMC13707412",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13707412"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "chemistry",
      "origin": "issn:1420-3049",
      "subfield": "general"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Advances in Aqueous Electrolyte Engineering: From Fundamental Limitations to Emerging Strategies",
  "title_text": "Advances in Aqueous Electrolyte Engineering: From Fundamental Limitations to Emerging Strategies",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:21:47Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0jqta9rwpkkx8",
  "venue": "Molecules",
  "versions": []
}