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Summary New applications and emerging markets in electromobility and large‐scale stationary energy storage require the development of new electrochemical systems with higher energy density than current batteries. Rechargeable metal–air batteries, mainly lithium–air and zinc–air systems, are considered one of the most promising candidates. In contrast to lithium, zinc is abundant, inexpensive and its electrodeposition in aqueous electrolytes is relatively easy. Unfortunately, achieving a rechargeable zinc–air battery is still hindered by various technical problems related to the reversibility and lifetime of the electrodes. The most widely used electrolyte in zinc–air batteries has been the classical aqueous alkaline. In this context and with the main objective of providing a complete overview, we studied a wide number of articles starting from the beginning of the development of secondary zinc–air batteries (1970–1980s) to more recent works, with the aim of compiling all available information. It is essential to revise older papers to find relevant information that may get otherwise forgotten and not taken into account to develop new solutions. This information could also be applied in other storage systems based on zinc as nickel–zinc, zinc hybrid or zinc‐ion. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Lithium-sulfur batteries are among the most promising next-generation battery systems due to the high capacity of sulfur as cathodic material. Beyond its interesting intrinsic properties, sulfur possesses a very low conductivity and complex electrochemistry, which involves the high solubility of the lithium sulfides in the electrolyte. These two characteristics are at the core of a series of limitations of its performance as active cathode material, which leads to batteries with low cyclability. Recently, inverse vulcanized sulfur was shown to retain capacity far better than elemental sulfur, leading to batteries with excellent cyclability. Nevertheless, the diene co-monomers used so far in the inverse vulcanization process are man-made molecules. Herein, a tentative work on exploring inverse vulcanization using two naturally available monomers, diallyl sulfide and myrcene, is presented. The inverse vulcanization of sulfur was successfully completed, and the resulting polymers were characterized by FTIR, NMR spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis. Afterwards these polymers were tested as cathodic materials in lithium-sulfur cells. The sulfur-natural dienes materials exhibited high capacity at different C rates and high lifetime over 200 cycles with very high capacity retention at a moderate C rate of C/5. Altogether, these materials made from inexpensive and abundant chemicals are an excellent option as sustainable materials for electrochemical energy storage.

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