Recent Advances in Flexible Zn–Air Batteries: Materials for Electrodes and Electrolytes. Issue 1 (19th November 2021) - Liu, Haoran
Abstract: Flexible Zn–air batteries (ZABs) draw much attention due to the merits of high energy density, stability, and safety, and show potential applications for wearable devices. However, the development of flexible ZABs with great energy density, high round‐trip efficiency, and long cycle life for practical applications is highly restricted by the lack of highly active oxygen catalysts, high ion‐conducting solid‐state electrolytes, appropriate Zn anodes, and advanced battery configuration. Promising oxygen catalysts should possess both, superior oxygen reduction reaction and oxygen evolution reaction performance and can be directly used as self‐supporting cathodes without loading catalysts on support materials such as carbon cloth. In addition, electrolytes play an important role in ZABs; a good electrolyte should be in all‐solid state with high ion conductivity. Moreover, for an excellent Zn anode, it is required to stably contact the electrolyte interface during the bending process. Therefore, in this review, recent advances in ZABs are summarized, including: i) the powder and 3D self‐supporting oxygen catalysts, ii) the species of solid‐state electrolytes, and iii) the rational design of Zn anodes. Finally, the challenges and opportunities of this promising field are presented. Abstract : Flexible Zn–air batteries (ZABs) show applications on wearable electronical devices. The research on air cathodes, electrolytes, and Zn anodes of flexible ZABs is summarized in this review. This review further discusses the opportunities and challenges faced by the cathodes, electrolytes, anodes, and packaging technologies of flexible ZABs, and puts forward some personal perspectives on the development of flexible ZABs in the future.