4D-Printed Adaptive and Programmable Shape-Morphing Batteries

Shape-morphing batteries that can reconfigure their shape to adapt to different tasks are highly desirable for emerging soft electronics in diverse fields. However, it is a challenging task to develop advanced shape-morphing batteries with on-demand programmability and adaptive responsiveness. Here, 4D-printed programmable shape-morphing batteries by sequentially direct-ink-writing of shape-programmable liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) and in-situ covalent crosslinked flexible zinc-ion microbatteries, where tough covalent bonding is built at the interface, are reported. The resulting shape-morphing batteries exhibit controllable, reversible, and programmable shape-morphing by controlling sophisticated molecular alignment of LCEs, which enables them to adaptively alter configurations to accommodate different functionalities. Importantly, diverse origami batteries with excellent spatiotemporal controllability are demonstrated by precisely designing active hinges to achieve adaptive transformations from folded to deployed configurations. The programmable shape-morphing mechanisms of the batteries are revealed by finite element analyses. As a proof-of-concept illustration, adaptive shape-morphing battery systems capable of interactive communication and controllable sensing are developed through the incorporation of an elaborate all-MXene-printed near-field-communication antenna, which can adaptively tune its deployment configuration according to variations in environmental humidity or dust content. This work brings new insights for the development of next-generation shape-morphing power sources, human-machine interactive electronics, and swarm intelligence.