Restructuring Hydrogen Bond Networks in Polyacrylamide Hydrogels via Trehalose Additives for Wide-Temperature-Range...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) offer safety and potential for wearable devices.
• Challenges include mechanical robustness, water retention, and interface stability in gel electrolytes.
• Trehalose's cryoprotective and hygroscopic properties inspire a novel electrolyte design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a stable and high-performance gel electrolyte for wearable AZIBs.
• To investigate the role of trehalose in enhancing electrolyte properties and interfacial behavior.
• To demonstrate a wearable solar-charging system using the developed AZIBs.

Main Methods:

• Incorporation of trehalose into polyacrylamide hydrogel electrolytes.
• Electrochemical characterization of hydrogel electrolytes and ZIB performance.
• Mechanical testing and analysis of electrode-electrolyte interfaces.
• Fabrication and testing of ZIB pouch cells and a wearable solar-charging system.

Main Results:

• Optimized hydrogel electrolyte exhibits wide-temperature adaptability (-15 °C to 50 °C) and excellent water retention.
• Trehalose suppresses dendrite growth and parasitic reactions by modifying Zn-ion solvation and interfaces.
• ZIBs achieve 87.2% capacity retention after 2000 cycles at 5 A g^-1, with pouch cells lasting over 500 cycles.
• Wearable solar-charging system demonstrates over 10% energy conversion efficiency.

Conclusions:

• Trehalose-based hydrogel electrolytes significantly improve the performance and stability of AZIBs.
• The developed ZIBs are suitable for demanding applications like wearable electronics and solar charging.
• This work presents a promising strategy for advanced energy storage in flexible devices.