Biocompatible zinc battery with programmable electro-cross-linked electrolyte

Abstract

Aqueous zinc batteries (ZBs) attract increasing attention for potential applications in modern wearable and implantable devices due to their safety and stability. However, challenges associated with biosafety designs and intrinsic electrochemistry of ZBs emerge when moving to practice, especially for biomedical devices. Here, we propose a green and programmable electro-crosslinking strategy to in-situ prepare a multi-layer hierarchical Zn-alginate polymer electrolyte (Zn-Alg) via the superionic binds between the carboxylate groups and Zn2+. Consequently, Zn-Alg electrolyte provides high reversibility of 99.65% coulombic efficiency, over 500 h long-time stability, and high biocompatibility (no damage to gastric and duodenal mucosa) in the body. A wire-shaped Zn/Zn-Alg/α-MnO2 full battery affords 95% capacity retention after 100 cycles at 1 A g−1 and good flexibility. The new strategy has three prominent advantages over the conventional methods: (1) the cross-linking process for the synthesis of electrolytes avoids the introduction of any chemical reagents or initiators; (2) a highly reversible Zn battery is easily provided from a micrometer to large scales through automatic programmable functions; and (3) high biocompatibility is capable of implanted and bio-integrated devices to ensure the body safety.

Recent Progress on Zn Anodes for Advanced Aqueous Zinc‐Ion Batteries

“…Hydrogel electrolyte is a promising strategy for solving the problems of zinc dendrites growth, HER, and passivation on zinc metal, because the free water molecules in it are greatly reduced. [ 183 ] Most hydrogel electrolytes rely on various hydrophilic polymers grafted with other monomers, groups, or cations, which can stabilize water molecules with fewer side reactions and higher ion conductivities. Hydrophilic polymers include poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), [ 181,184 ] polyacrylamide (PAM), [ 185 ] poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), [ 184a,186 ] poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN), [ 185a ] poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), [ 187 ] poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA), [ 187b,188 ] etc., and they exhibit bright research prospects.…”

Constructing a well-wettable interface on a three-dimensional copper foam host with reinforced copper nanowires to stabilize zinc metal anodes

“…10,11 To address the problem of irreversible Zn dendrites faced by the Zn metal anode, most researches almost focus on the modied commercial Zn foils by the construction of the articial interfacial layer (surface coating), and optimizations of electrolyte compositions. [12][13][14] Some strategies have served as the regulation zinc-electrolyte interface during zinc deposition, including an insulating layer (such as CaCO 3 , TiO 2 , and ZrO 2 ), [15][16][17][18] electron-oriented layer (such as carbon-based materials and Mxene) 19,20 and ion-oriented or coordinated layer (such as Kaolin, MOFs, and polymers). [21][22][23] For example, the Zn-based montmorillonite (MMT) interface acted as an articial SEI to inhibit the formation of dendrites and delivered the low polarization voltage (50 mV) at 1 mA cm −2 over 1000 cycles by Li' groups.…”

Enhanced electrochemical performance of iron-doped (NH4)2V12O27·xH2O as a cathode material for aqueous zinc-ion batteries

“…9,10 As a result, ZIBs have emerged as a hot topic of research. 11 Numerous cathode materials for ZIBs have been reported, including vanadium oxides (such as V 2 O 5 , 12 V 2 O 3 , 13 NaV 3 -O 8 , 14 Zn 3 V 2 O 7 (OH) 2 •2H 2 O (ref. 15)), manganese-base oxides (such as MnO 2 , 16,17 ZnMn 2 O 4 (ref.…”