Hydride Materials for Advanced Electrochemical Energy Storage: Progress and Perspectives

Abstract

Over the past decade, electrochemical energy storage has rapidly diversified from conventional cation-based batteries to all-solid-state, lithium metal, lithium-sulfur, multivalent, and emerging hydride-based systems. This diversification, together with the need for practical and low-carbon batteries, has intensified the demand for materials that combine fast ion transport, electronic insulation, interfacial stability, and compatibility with scalable cell architectures. In this context, hydride materials are attracting attention not only as battery-relevant materials but also as hydrogen-based platforms for sustainable and low-carbon energy systems. This review classifies hydrides according to the chemical state and bonding environment of hydrogen and correlates these regimes with recent functions and battery-level advances. Hydrides have evolved from classical hydrogen-storage compounds into multifunctional battery materials. Metal hydrides established the historical foundation of hydride electrochemistry through nickel−metal hydride batteries, whereas their gravimetric and electronic limitations also motivated the shift toward lighter and electronically insulating hydride frameworks. Complex hydrides now enable lithium superionic solid electrolytes, lithium metal all-solid-state batteries, weakly coordinating liquid-electrolyte components for multivalent systems, and functional additives or interfacial modifiers for lithium–sulfur and related batteries, with accessible aqueous or solution-mediated processing routes. In parallel, pure hydride ion conductors and mixed-anion hydrides have progressed from proof-of-concept oxyhydrides to an emerging frontier in hydride electrochemistry, encompassing mixed-anion transport design, rechargeable all-solid-state hydride ion batteries, and reversible hydride ion (H−)-driven hydrogen storage. Together, these advances show that hydrides provide a diverse and electrochemically versatile platform for next-generation energy storage, whereas device validation, interfacial chemo-mechanical stability, and scalable synthesis remain central challenges. © 2026 The Author(s). EcoEnergy published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of China Chemical Safety Association.