Liquid Metal-Based Stable and Stretchable Zn-Ion Battery for Electronic Textiles

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Wearable Electronics

Background:

• Electronic textiles are crucial for smart wearable devices but require stable, stretchable power sources.
• Current power devices for wearables face limitations in stability and multifunctionality under mechanical stress.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an intrinsically stretchable fibrous anode for stable zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs).
• To investigate the performance of liquid metal-based anodes in ZIBs under stretching conditions.
• To demonstrate the integration of the ZIB with other wearable electronic components.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a liquid metal-based fibrous anode for ZIBs.
• Electrochemical testing of the ZIB under various strain levels (up to 50%).
• Cycling stability tests for 300 cycles at 50% strain.
• Integration of the ZIB with sensors, Joule heaters, and wireless charging devices.

Main Results:

• The liquid metal anode exhibited dendrite-free zinc deposition and stable performance under stretching.
• The ZIB maintained 83.0% of its initial capacity (139.8 mAh cm⁻³) after 300 cycles at 50% strain.
• The fibrous ZIB demonstrated superior performance compared to bare zinc fiber-based ZIBs.
• Successful integration and stable power supply for wearable sensors and heaters were achieved.

Conclusions:

• The developed liquid metal-based fibrous anode offers a promising solution for stable and stretchable power sources in wearable electronics.
• The dendrite-free performance under strain makes it suitable for robust electronic textiles.
• This technology holds potential for advanced human signal monitoring and personal thermal management applications.