Zheng Yafen, Wu Dongling, Wang Tao, Liu Qian, Jia Dianzeng
State Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Utilization of Carbon Based Energy Resources, College of Chemistry, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, 830017, Xinjiang, PR China.
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Xinjiang Engineering Research Center of Environmental and Functional Materials, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, 830017, Xinjiang, PR China.
Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2025 Feb 3;64(6):e202418223. doi: 10.1002/anie.202418223. Epub 2024 Nov 13.
Despite ongoing challenges, achieving further breakthroughs in the development of gel polymer electrolytes with a wide temperature range, excellent liquid retention capability and enhanced anode compatibility in flexible zinc-air batteries (FZABs) remains a significant objective. This study presents a significant advancement in the development of choline chloride/ethylene glycol-polyvinyl alcohol (ChCl/EG-PVA) eutectogel electrolyte, tailored for high-performance operation across a wide temperature range. Systematic in-situ and ex-situ characterizations and theoretical simulations confirm the formation of robust hydrogen bonding and denser polymer cross-linked networks within the prepared eutectogel, leading to enhanced liquid retention ability (93.7 % after 96 h exposure to air) and ion transport capacity (ionic conductivity of 171.3 mS cm). Additionally, the zincophilicity nature of the choline cation in eutectogel effectively suppresses dendrites growth. The assembled FZAB utilizing this eutectogel electrolyte achieves a peak power density of 109.3 mW cm and a cycle life of 90 h. Notably, the power density of FZAB is maintained as high as 38.2 mW cm at -40 °C and 63.2 mW cm at 50 °C, demonstrating its prominent suitability for applications in extreme temperature conditions. The design of eutectogel provides a novel way to achieve the high-performance FZAB.
尽管仍面临挑战，但在柔性锌空气电池（FZABs）中开发具有宽温度范围、优异保液能力和增强阳极兼容性的凝胶聚合物电解质方面取得进一步突破仍然是一个重要目标。本研究在氯化胆碱/乙二醇 - 聚乙烯醇（ChCl/EG - PVA）低共熔凝胶电解质的开发方面取得了重大进展，该电解质专为在宽温度范围内的高性能运行而定制。系统的原位和异位表征以及理论模拟证实，在制备的低共熔凝胶中形成了强大的氢键和更致密的聚合物交联网络，从而提高了保液能力（在空气中暴露96小时后为93.7%）和离子传输能力（离子电导率为171.3 mS cm）。此外，低共熔凝胶中胆碱阳离子的亲锌性有效地抑制了枝晶生长。使用这种低共熔凝胶电解质组装的FZAB实现了109.3 mW cm的峰值功率密度和90小时的循环寿命。值得注意的是，FZAB的功率密度在-40°C时保持高达38.2 mW cm，在50°C时保持63.2 mW cm，表明其在极端温度条件下的应用具有突出的适用性。低共熔凝胶的设计为实现高性能FZAB提供了一种新方法。
