Development of cellulose-based dual-network gel electrolyte for flexible zinc-air batteries: Experiments and...

Zinc-air batteries (ZABs) have become an ideal energy storage option for wearable devices due to their high theoretical energy density and low cost. However, the evaporation and leakage of liquid electrolytes limit their long-term stability. In this study, a novel dual-network gel electrolyte (PANa-SiO₂-CMC) was synthesized through the synergistic effect of sodium polyacrylate (PANa), nano-silica (SiO₂) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and it was applied to flexible ZAB. This material exhibits outstanding comprehensive performance: superior mechanical properties (with tensile strength of 3.62 MPa and elongation of 1865.01 %), high ionic conductivity (276.51 mS·cm^-1), and excellent electrolyte retention ability (83.24 %, 48 h). The flexible ZAB assembled based on this electrolyte demonstrates excellent electrochemical performance: the open-circuit voltage is stably maintained at approximately 1.4 V, the capacity reaches 760.61 mAh·g^-1, and it can maintain stable voltage output after 160 h cycling tests and under different bending angles, fully demonstrating its applicability in wearable devices. Through molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, the rapid diffusion mechanism of OH^- in the PANa-SiO₂-CMC system was further revealed, providing an important theoretical basis for the design of electrolytes for high-performance ZABs.