Chem. Commun., 2025, Advance Article DOI: 10.1039/D5CC04203H, Feature Article Yehui Zhang, Yujia Fu, Yaokang Lv, Ziyang Song, Lihua Gan, Mingxian Liu The design strategies, electrochemical applications, critical challenges and future perspectives of carbonyl-rich organic materials are reviewed to advance their deployment in next-generation high-performance aqueous batteries.