Aqueous Zinc-Iodine batteries (AZIBs) have emerged as a promising candidate for next-generation energy storage systems

due to their intrinsic safety, environmental friendliness, and the use of abundant and low-cost materials. Despite 

these advantages, challenges such as the shuttle eff ect, low electrical conductivity, sluggish redox kinetics, and limited

energy density have hindered their practical application. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent 

advances in AZIB cathode materials, with a particular focus on carbon-based hosts, conductive and functional polymers, 

and organic–inorganic hybrid systems. Carbon materials, including porous carbon, graphene, and carbon nanotubes, are 

widely explored for their excellent conductivity and iodine confi nement capabilities. Conductive polymers off er chemical

interaction sites for polyiodide species, eff ectively mitigating shuttle eff ects and enhancing cycling performance. 

Meanwhile, hybrid materials such as MOFs, PBAs, MXenes, and perovskites present tunable porosity and strong iodine 

binding, contributing to both capacity and stability improvements. The review discusses design strategies, electrochemical

performance, and underlying mechanisms of these cathode systems, highlighting the synergistic eff ects of structural 

engineering and material chemistry. Finally, perspectives on future research directions are proposed, aiming to overcome 

current limitations and accelerate the development of safe, effi cient, and scalable AZIB technologies.