Multivalent ion batteries have emerged as promising solutions to meet the future demands of energy storage applications, offering not only high energy density but also diverse socio-economic advantages. Among the various options for cathodes, quinone-based organic compounds have gained attention as suitable active materials for multivalent ion batteries due to their well-aligned ion channels, flexible structures, and competitive electrochemical performance. However, the charge carriers associated with anions that are often exploited in multivalent ion battery systems operate by way of a "non-rocking-chair" mechanism, which requires the use of an excess amount of electrolyte and results in a significant decrease in the energy density. In this review, by categorizing the various charge carriers exploited in previous studies on multivalent ion batteries, we summarize recently reported quinone-based organic cathodes for multivalent ion batteries and emphasize the importance of accurately identifying the charge carriers for calculating the energy density. We also propose potential future directions toward the practical realization of multivalent ion batteries, in link with their efficient energy storage applications.
Keywords: Post lithium-ion batteries; charge carrier; energy density; multivalent ion batteries; quinone-based organic cathodes; rocking-chair mechanism.