Electrolyte Dynamics Engineering for Flexible Fiber-Shaped Aqueous Zinc-Ion Battery with Ultralong Stability

• Published in: Nano letters Vol. 21; no. 22; pp. 9651 - 9660
• Main Authors: Lu, Yufei, Zhang, Hongjian, Liu, Haodong, Nie, Zhentao, Xu, Feng, Zhao, Yang, Zhu, Jixin, Huang, Wei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 24.11.2021
• Subjects: Cobalt; Electric Power Supplies; Electrolytes; Oxides; Zinc; fiber-shaped; long-term stability; zinc-ion battery; Co3O4 nanosheets; wearable electronics
• ISSN: 1530-6984; 1530-6992
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c03455

Flexible aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) are considered as promising energy storage devices for wearable electronics due to their cost-effectiveness, environmental friendliness, and high theoretical energy density. Herein, a flexible fiber-shaped aqueous ZIB is demonstrated by using a self-assembled Co3O4 nanosheet array on a carbon nanotube fiber as the cathode and Zn nanosheets deposited on a carbon nanotube fiber as the anode. The cycle life span of the fiber-shaped battery is largely enhanced by a simple electrolyte dynamics engineering strategy of preadding a trace amount of Co2+ cations in the mild aqueous electrolyte. The assembled fiber-shaped ZIB shows a high specific capacity (158.70 mAh g–1 at 1 A g–1), superior rate capacity, and excellent cycling life span (97.27% capacity retention after 10,000 cycles). Additionally, the fiber-shaped ZIB also shows superior flexibility, which can charge a smart watch under deformed states. This work provides new opportunities for the development of flexible, safe, and high-performance energy storage devices for wearable electronics.