Revealing progress, challenges, in flexible zinc ion battery design

Flexible zinc ion batteries (ZIB) boast many properties that make them a promising energy supply for flexible and wearable electronic devices, such as intelligent clothing, implanted medical devices, and artificial electronic skin. In contrast to lithium ion batteries, currently the predominant energy source for flexible electronics, ZIBs possess higher theoretical capacity and are exceptionally safe, cost-effective, and eco-friendly. They can better withstand deformations such as twisting, folding, compressing, and even stretching.

However, research on the design and fabrication of flexible ZIBs is in its infancy, thus far limiting widespread application of the energy supply.

Zeng et al. presented three aspects of recent progress in this realm: device configurations, battery constituent components, and practical applications.

“We believe rational design of highly efficient flexible ZIBs is conducive to their widespread application in flexible electronics,” said co-author Yizhou Zhang.

In addition to discussing the positive effect of design strategies on the electrochemical performance and mechanical properties, the study conveyed existing constraints and challenges. These included growth of zinc dendrites, formation of byproducts on zinc anodes, and low capacity and instability of cathode materials that can lead to unstable cyclic behavior and even short circuiting. Also, low conductivity and weak mechanical properties of applied solid/gel electrolyte can significantly reduce electrochemical performance. Furthermore, the traditional sandwiched flexible ZIBs, which have a large volume, display a small volumetric energy density often not compatible with wearable devices.

Finding feasible strategies that address these issues will be important to the rational design of flexible ZIBs and their widespread application.

Source: “Recent progress in advanced flexible zinc ion battery design,” by Ye Zeng, Jin Liang, Jiaxian Zheng, Zihao Huang, Xiaoyi Zhang, Guoyin Zhu, Zhoucheng Wang, Hanfeng Liang, and Yi-Zhou Zhang, Applied Physics Reviews (2022). The article can be accessed at http://doi.org/10.1063/5.0085301 .

This paper is part of the Flexible and Smart Electronics Collection, learn more here .