High-Performance Anti-freezing Flexible Zn-MnO2 Battery Based on Polyacrylamide/Graphene Oxide/Ethylene Glycol Gel Electrolyte

Abstract

It remains a great challenge for aqueous zinc-ion batteries to work at subzero temperatures, since the water in aqueous electrolytes would freeze and inhibit the transportation of electrolyte ions, inevitably leading to performance deterioration. In this work, we propose an anti-freezing gel electrolyte that contains polyacrylamide, graphene oxide, and ethylene glycol. The graphene oxide can not only enhance the mechanical properties of gel electrolyte but also help construct a three-dimensional macroporous network that facilitates ionic transport, while the ethylene glycol can improve freezing resistance. Due to the synergistic effect, the gel electrolyte exhibits high ionic conductivity (e.g., 14.9 mS cm −1 at −20 • C) and good mechanical properties in comparison with neat polyacrylamide gel electrolyte. Benefiting from that, the assembled flexible quasi-solid-state Zn-MnO 2 battery exhibits good electrochemical durability and superior tolerance to extreme working conditions. This work provides new perspectives to develop flexible electrochemical energy storage devices with great environmental adaptability.

Nano Carbon Doped Polyacrylamide Gel Electrolytes for High Performance Supercapacitors

“…The increment of G′ in GO-PGE and fCNT/GO-PGE highlights the viscoelastic properties of the viscous gel into a stiffer and elastic composite. This alteration may be due to that the oxygen-containing groups present in GO and fCNT/GO group formed hydrogen bonds with polymer chains, potentially improving the mechanical strength of the gel [ 34 ].…”

“…Designing composites with optimal thermal, mechanical, and electrochemical properties is an important consideration in the new generation GE development [ 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 ]. A variety of aqueous, non-aqueous, redox and ionic liquid GEs has been reported.…”

“…Another important parameter in GE synthesis is the electrolyte selection such as acidic, alkali and neutral. PVA is the most commonly used GE with KOH electrolyte but has several limitations such as low ionic conductivity and mechanical strength, and limited work has been reported for neutral electrolytes such as lithium chloride (LiCl) [ 27 , 34 ]. At this point, there is a need to explore other gel electrolytes, especially for neutral electrolytes such as Li + which have lower corrosion and lower water content.…”

“…Carbon-based nanomaterials have excellent thermal, electrical, and mechanical properties and are among the most commonly used additives to improve electrolytes as well as electrodes [ 13 , 29 , 37 ]. The incorporation of carboxyl functionalized carbon nanotubes (fCNTs) and graphene oxide (GO) into PGEs have been shown to alter ionic conductivity and mechanical properties in PVA aqueous alkali, PAM non-aqueous and PVDF ionic liquid gel electrolytes [ 34 , 38 , 39 ]. Moreover, using carbon-nanomaterials in electrolytes also can increase electrode/electrolyte compatibility.…”

A Review of the Use of GPEs in Zinc-Based Batteries. A Step Closer to Wearable Electronic Gadgets and Smart Textiles

“…It is a concern for aqueous zinc-ion batteries to work at temperatures below 0 • C degrees, since the water in aqueous electrolytes would freeze and inhibit the transportation of ions with this, detrimental effects on the battery performance. Quan et al [268] proposed an anti-freezing gel electrolyte that contains polyacrylamide, graphene oxide, and ethylene glycol. According to the authors GO provided help to construct a three-dimensional macroporous network that facilitates ionic transport, whereas EG improved freezing resistance.…”