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Polymer electrolytes for flexible zinc-air batteries: Recent progress and future directions

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Abstract

This review article delves into the development of electrolytes for flexible zinc-air batteries (FZABs), a critical component driving the advancement of flexible electronics. We started by surveying the current advancements in electrolyte technologies, including solid-state and gel-based types, and their contributions to enhance the flexibility, efficiency, and durability of FZABs. Secondly, we explored the challenges in this domain, focusing on maintaining electrolyte stability under mechanical stress, ensuring compatibility with flexible substrates, optimizing ion conductivity, and under harsh environmental conditions. Furthermore, the key issues regarding interface details between electrolyte and the electrodes are covered as well. We then discussed the future of electrolyte development in FZABs, highlighting potential avenues such as materials development, sustainability, in-situ studies, and battery integration. This review offers an in-depth overview of the advancements, challenges, and potential breakthroughs in creating electrolytes for FZABs over the past five years. It serves as a guide for both researchers and industry professionals in this dynamic area.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the financial support from the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Science and Engineering Research Council, and A*ccelerate Technologies for this work (No. GAP/2019/00314).

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  1. Jing Wu and Wen-Ya Wu contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Sustainability for Chemicals, Energy and Environment (ISCE2), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 1 Pesek Road, Jurong Island, Singapore, 627833, Singapore

    Jing Wu, Janet Beng, Jianwei Xu & Qiang Zhu

  2. Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 2 Fusionopolis Way, Innovis #08-03, Singapore, 138634, Singapore

    Wen-Ya Wu, Suxi Wang, Dan Kai, Enyi Ye, Warintorn Thitsartarn, Janet Beng, Hoon Tan, Qiang Zhu & Xian Jun Loh

  3. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore

    Janet Beng & Qingyu Yan

  4. School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, Singapore, 637371, Singapore

    Janet Beng & Qiang Zhu

  5. Department of Material Science and Engineering, National University of Singapore, 9 Engineering Drive 1, #03-09 EA, Singapore, 117575, Singapore

    Janet Beng & Xian Jun Loh

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  1. Jing Wu
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Correspondence to Qiang Zhu or Xian Jun Loh.

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Wu, J., Wu, WY., Wang, S. et al. Polymer electrolytes for flexible zinc-air batteries: Recent progress and future directions. Nano Res. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-024-6555-z

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