An Omni‐healable and Tailorable Aqueous Lithium‐Ion Battery

Abstract

Reliability and safety are critical issues for portable power sources aiming for next-generation electronics. However, most lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) will fail to work or will cause safety problems after physical damage or violent deformation. Here, an omni-healable aqueous LIB, which can self-repair its electrodes and electrolyte simultaneously after mechanical breakage, is fabricated by integrating all of the electroactive components into polymer networks cross-linked by dynamic borate ester bonding. Once suffering from repeated cutoffs, the battery quickly recovers its configuration integrity as well as mechanical and electrochemical properties autonomously without external stimuli. Furthermore, the battery can also be tailored into complicated patterns while maintaining its lithium-storage properties. The present investigation offers a strategy to design a smart and sustainable energy-storage device that has potential applications in wearable/flexible electronics, flexible robot or intelligent apparel, and so on.

Hydrogel Electrolytes for Flexible Aqueous Energy Storage Devices

“…It was found that after being cut into two pieces, the Li‐ion battery could be recovered within a few seconds and the electrochemical performances maintained 17.2 mAh g −1 at 0.5 A g −1 after 5th cycle of cutting/healing, compared with the initial capacity of 28.2 mAh g −1 . In Figure , another example of Omni‐healable aqueous Li‐ion battery was proposed by Hao et al through the integration of both electrode and electrolyte materials into dynamic borate ester bonding crosslinked polymeric networks . The self‐healable electrode materials were fabricated through crosslinking N , N , N ‐trimethyl‐1‐(oxiran‐2‐yl) methanaminium chloride grafted PVA‐based polymeric materials (PVA‐g‐TMAC) with borax in the presence of the electrode materials.…”

“…In addition, self‐healable Li‐ion batteries based on self‐healing hydrogels were also reported . For example, Zhao et al reported a self‐healing aqueous Li‐ion battery based on self‐healing polymeric substrate and aqueous lithium sulfate/sodium carboxymethylcellulose (Li 2 SO 4 /CMC) gel electrolyte, as shown in Figure .…”

“…By virtue of the dynamic borate ester bonding, the composite electrode materials within the polymeric network could effectively rebond and recover most of the shape, mechanical strength and conductivity once being broken by mechanical damage within 15 min. Moreover, the self‐healable Li‐ion battery consisted of LVO anode and LMO cathode delivered a specific capacity of 18.2 mAh g −1 at 1 A g −1 even after 5 cycles of cutting/healing process …”

“…a) Schematic illustration of the assembly and self‐healing of the Li‐ion battery; b) CV curves at 1 mV s −1 and c) rate capability of the assembled battery; d,e) charge–discharge properties and EIS spectra of the battery after different cut/healing cycles. Reproduced with permission . Copyright 2017, John Wiley and Sons.…”

Smart Materials and Design toward Safe and Durable Lithium Ion Batteries

“…After self‐healing for 20 min, a damaged LIB could still regain 98.7% of its original mechanical strength, showing its high self‐healing efficiency. Furthermore, the cell had high elastic strain and could also be tailored into arbitrary shapes while maintaining its electrochemical performance …”