A Flexible and Safe Aqueous Zinc–Air Battery with a Wide Operating Temperature Range from −20 to 70 °C

• Published in: ACS sustainable chemistry & engineering 2020-08, Vol.8 (31), p.11501-11511
• Main Authors: Chen, Rui, Xu, Xiubin, Peng, Siyu, Chen, Junmin, Yu, Danfeng, Xiao, Chuanghong, Li, Yunlong, Chen, Yanting, Hu, Xiaofeng, Liu, Mingjie, Yang, Hui, Wyman, Ian, Wu, Xu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2168-0485; 2168-0485
• DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.0c01111

Flexible solid-state rechargeable batteries have attracted extensive attention for their potential to accommodate the deep integration of humans and flexible electronics. To achieve a wide operating temperature range of −20 to 70 °C as well as good flexibility and safety, a novel flexible and rechargeable solid-state aqueous Zn–air battery was developed and is reported herein. This battery possessed temperature-resistance, long-term stability, excellent flexibility and mechanical properties, low interfacial resistance, and good safety. The Zn–air battery exhibited a power density of 11.8 mW cm–2, a specific capacity of 663.25 mA h g–1, and a gravimetric energy density of 769.37 W h kg–1 at 1 mA cm–2 and 25 °C. During operation at 0 and −20 °C, the maximum output power density retentions of the battery were 80.13% and 67.87%, respectively, compared with that at 25 °C. Furthermore, the battery could consistently power a timer under various conditions, including temperatures of −30 and 70 °C as well as exposure to the flame of an alcohol burner and being subjected to impacts, cutting, or bending. Notably, the battery was able to operate in these scenarios without developing smoke and blast phenomena, thus demonstrating that this battery has significant potential for future applications in safely wearable and flexible electronics that could be employed in harsh temperature environments. These applications would have relevance in a wide variety of fields, such as electric vehicles, aerospace technology, and the military.