Tactile UV- and Solar-Light Multi-Sensing Rechargeable Batteries with Smart Self-Conditioned Charge and Discharge

A tactile, UV- and solar-light multi-sensing smart rechargeable Zn-air battery (SRZAB) with excellent cell performance, self-conditioned charge/discharge, and reliable environmental responsivity is made by using multi-scale conjugated block-copolymer-carbon nanotube-polyurethane foam assemblies as both a self-standing air electrode and a sensing unit. Multiscale engineering fully exploits the multi-synergy among components to endow the newly designed metal-free multi-sensing air electrode (MSAE) with bifunctional oxygen reduction and evolution activities, pressure sensitivity, and photothermal and photoelectric conversion functions in a single electrode, enabling effective regulation of interface properties, electronic/ionic transport, or redox reactions in SRZAB upon various stimulations and establishing multiple working principles. MSAE-driven SRZAB can be used as compressible power sources, self-powered pressure and optical sensors and light-to-electrochemical energy systems.