A Polarized Gel Electrolyte for Wide-Temperature Flexible Zinc-Air Batteries

The development of flexible zinc-air batteries (FZABs) has attracted broad attention in the field of wearable electronic devices. Gel electrolyte is one of the most important components in FZABs, which is urgent to be optimized to match with Zn anode and adapt to severe climates. In this work, a polarized gel electrolyte of polyacrylamide-sodium citric (PAM-SC) is designed for FZABs, in which the SC molecules contain large amount of polarized -COO- functional groups. The polarized -COO- groups can form an electrical field between gel electrolyte and Zn anode to suppress Zn dendrite growth. Besides, the -COO- groups in PAM-SC can fix H2O molecules, which prevents water from freezing and evaporating. The polarized PAM-SC hydrogel delivers a high ionic conductivity of 324.68 mS cm(-1) and water retention of 96.85 % after being exposed for 96 h. FZABs with the PAM-SC gel electrolyte exhibit long cycling life of 700 cycles at -40 degrees C, showing the application prospect under extreme conditions.

Automated summary

The development of flexible zinc-air batteries (FZABs) for wearable electronic devices has attracted attention. The optimization of gel electrolyte, a key component in FZABs, is crucial for compatibility with Zn anode and adaptability to severe climates. In this study, a polarized gel electrolyte of polyacrylamide-sodium citric (PAM-SC) is designed to suppress Zn dendrite growth and prevent water freezing and evaporating. The PAM-SC gel electrolyte exhibits high ionic conductivity and water retention, enabling FZABs to have a long cycling life at -40 degrees C.