The growing demand for substitutes of lithium chemistries in battery leads to a surge in budding novel anion-based electrochemical energy storage,where the chloride ion batteries(CIBs)take over the role.The applicatio...The growing demand for substitutes of lithium chemistries in battery leads to a surge in budding novel anion-based electrochemical energy storage,where the chloride ion batteries(CIBs)take over the role.The application of CIBs is limited by the dissolution and side reaction of chloride-based electrode materials in a liquid electrolyte.On the flipside,its solid-state electrolytes are scarcely reported due to the challenge in realizing fast Cl^(-)conductivity.The present study reports[Al(DMSO)_(6)]Cl_(3),a solid-state metal-organic material,allows chloride ion transfer.The strong Al-Cl bonds in AlCl_(3)are broken down after coordinating of Al^(3+)by ligand DMSO,and Cl^(-)in the resulting compound is weakly bound to complexions[Al(DMSO)_(6)]^(3+),which may facilitate Cl^(-)migration.By partial replacement of Cl^(-)with PF_(6)^(-),the room-temperature ionic conductivity of as-prepared electrolyte is increased by one order of magnitude from 2.172×10^(-5)S cm^(-1)to 2.012×10^(-4)S cm^(-1).When they are assembled with Ag(anode)/Ag-AgCl(cathode)electrode system,reversible electrochemical redox reactions occur on both sides,demonstrating its potential for solid-state chloride ion batteries.The strategy by weakening the bonding interaction using organic ligands between Cl^(-)and central metallic ions may provide new ideas for developing solid chloride-ion conductors.展开更多
Solid polymer composite electrolytes possess the benefits of superior compatibility with electrodes and good thermal characteristics for more secure energy storage equipment.Herein,a new gel polymer electrolyte(GPE)co...Solid polymer composite electrolytes possess the benefits of superior compatibility with electrodes and good thermal characteristics for more secure energy storage equipment.Herein,a new gel polymer electrolyte(GPE)containing NH_(2)-MIL-53(Al),[PP_(13)][TFSI],LiTFSI,and PVDF-HFP was prepared using a simple method of solution casting.The effects of encapsulating different ratios of ionic liquid([PP_(13)][TFSI])into the micropores of functionalized metal-organic frameworks(NH_(2)-MIL-53(Al))on the electrochemical properties were compared.XRD,SEM,nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms,and electrochemical measurements were conducted.This GPE demonstrates a superior ionic conductivity of 8.08×10^(-4)S·cm^(-1)at 60℃and can sustain a discharge specific capacity of 156.6 mA·h·g^(-1)at 0.2 C for over 100 cycles.This work might offer a potential approach to alleviate the solid-solid contact with the solid-state electrolyte and electrodes and broaden a new window for the creation of all-solid-state batteries.展开更多
For addressing the critical problems in current collectors in the aluminium batteries,a variety of carbonbased current collectors,including carbon fiber textiles and three-dimensional(3D)biomass-derivative carbon(BDC)...For addressing the critical problems in current collectors in the aluminium batteries,a variety of carbonbased current collectors,including carbon fiber textiles and three-dimensional(3D)biomass-derivative carbon(BDC)networks,are employed for serving as lightweight non-metal current collectors.The results indicate that all the carbon-based current collectors have electrochemical stability in the acidic electrolyte environments.In the assembled aluminium batteries with all-carbon positive electrodes,thermal annealing process on the carbon-based current collectors has substantially promoted the entire electrochemical energy storage performance.Additionally,both the structure configuration and chemical components of the current collectors have also great impact on the rate capability and cycling stability,implying that the 3D BDC networks are more favorable to offer promoted energy storage capability.Implication of the results from suggests that the carbon-based current collectors and all-carbon positive electrodes are able to deliver more advantages in energy storage behaviors in comparison with the traditional positive electrodes with metal Mo current collectors.Such novel strategy promises a new route for fabricating highperformance positive electrodes for stable advanced aluminium batteries.展开更多
A uniform Al-doped LiNi_(0.5)Co_(0.2)Mn_(0.3)O_(2) cathode material was prepared using a coprecipitation method to take advantage of the positive effect of Al on regenerated NCM(Ni,Co,Mn)cathode materials and ameliora...A uniform Al-doped LiNi_(0.5)Co_(0.2)Mn_(0.3)O_(2) cathode material was prepared using a coprecipitation method to take advantage of the positive effect of Al on regenerated NCM(Ni,Co,Mn)cathode materials and ameliorate cumbersome and high-cost impurity removal processes during lithium-ion battery recycling.When the Al^(3+) content in the leachate was 1 at.%with respect to the total amount of transition metals(Ni,Co,and Mn),the produced Al-doped NCM cathode material increased concentrations of lattice oxygen and Ni^(2+).The initial specific capacity at 0.1C was 167.4 mA·h/g,with a capacity retention of 79.1%after 400 cycles at 1C.Further,this Al-doped sample showed improved rate performance and a smaller electrochemical impedance.These findings provide a reference for developing industrial processes to resynthesize cathode materials with improved electrochemical performance by incorporating Al^(3+) impurities produced during lithium-ion battery recycling.展开更多
The effects of 0.01 wt.%Ga on microstructure and electrochemical performance of Al−0.4Mg−0.05Sn−0.03Hg anodes in NaOH solutions were investigated.Potentiodynamic polarization,electrochemical impedance spectroscopy,and...The effects of 0.01 wt.%Ga on microstructure and electrochemical performance of Al−0.4Mg−0.05Sn−0.03Hg anodes in NaOH solutions were investigated.Potentiodynamic polarization,electrochemical impedance spectroscopy,and galvanostatic discharge tests were used to assess the electrochemical performance of the Al−Mg−Sn−Hg−Ga anodes.The results show that the addition of 0.01 wt.%Ga in Al−0.4Mg−0.05Sn−0.03Hg anode enhances its corrosion resistance and discharge activity.It is benefited from the refined second phases and homogenous microstructure of Al−Mg−Sn−Hg−Ga anode,which restrains the local crystallographic corrosion and chunk effect.Compared with Al−Mg−Sn−Hg anode,the corrosion current density and the mass loss rate of Al−Mg−Sn−Hg−Ga anode decrease by 57%and 93%,respectively.When discharging at the current density of 20 mA/cm^(2),the discharge voltage,current efficiency and specific capacity of the single Al−air battery with Al−0.4Mg−0.05Sn−0.03Hg−0.01Ga anode are 1.46 V,33.1%,and 1019.2 A·h·kg^(−1),respectively.The activation mechanism of Ga on Al−Mg−Sn−Hg−Ga anode materials was also discussed.展开更多
Highly efficient and non-precious catalysts are imperative for oxygen reduction reaction（ORR） to replace Pt/C. Anchoring efficient active species to carbon supports is a promising and scalable strategy. Here we synt...Highly efficient and non-precious catalysts are imperative for oxygen reduction reaction（ORR） to replace Pt/C. Anchoring efficient active species to carbon supports is a promising and scalable strategy. Here we synthesize Cu nanoparticles and noncrystalline CuNxCy species co-decorated ketjenblack（KB） carbon catalyst（denoted as Cu-N-KB-acid） by a facile and scalable method using copper sulfate, melamine, and KB as raw materials. An initial one-pot hydrothermal treatment is designed before pyrolysis process to achieve the good distribution of Cu and melamine on KB via a possible chelation effect. Owing to the synergistic effect of Cu and CuNxCy on KB, this composite catalyst displays excellent ORR catalytic activity in alkaline solution, which is comparable to the commercial 20% Pt/C. When used as a catalyst in a home-made Al-air battery, it shows a stable discharge voltage of 1.47 V at a discharge density of 50 mA cm-2, a little higher than that of Pt/C（1.45 V）.展开更多
Al-doped LiVPO4F cathode materials LiAlxV1-xPO4F were prepared by two-step reactions based on a car-bothermal reduction （CTR） process. The properties of the Al-doped LiVPO4F were investigated by X-ray diffraction （...Al-doped LiVPO4F cathode materials LiAlxV1-xPO4F were prepared by two-step reactions based on a car-bothermal reduction （CTR） process. The properties of the Al-doped LiVPO4F were investigated by X-ray diffraction （XRD）,scanning electron microscopy （SEM）,and electrochemical measurements. XRD studies show that the Al-doped LiVPO4F has the same triclinic structure （space group p-↑1 ） as the undoped LiVPO4F. The SEM images exhibit that the particle size of Al-doped LiVPO4F is smaller than that of the undoped LiVPO4F and that the smallest particle size is only about 1 μm. The Al-doped LiVPO4F was evaluated as a cathode material for secondary lithium batteries,and exhibited an improved reversibility and cycleability,which may be attributed to the addition of Al^3＋ ion by stabilizing the triclinic structure.展开更多
Al metal possesses ultrahigh theoretical volumetric capacity of 8,040 m Ah cm^(-3),and gravimetric capacity of 2,980 m Ah g^(-1),and thus is highly attractive for electrochemical energy storage.However,it suffers from...Al metal possesses ultrahigh theoretical volumetric capacity of 8,040 m Ah cm^(-3),and gravimetric capacity of 2,980 m Ah g^(-1),and thus is highly attractive for electrochemical energy storage.However,it suffers from several issues,such as the dendrite formation,during Al stripping-deposition cycling,which has been verified to account for the short circuit and limited cyclic performance.Herein,we use a facile and applicable method to in-situ reconstruct the Al anode surface with F-Al-O chemical bonds,which could preferentially induce the planar growth of Al along the interface plane,thus leading to the dendrite-free morphology evolution during the cycling.Benefiting from F-Al-O chemical bonds on the surface of Al anodes,long lifespan of symmetric cells can be realized even under 1 m A cm^(-2)and 1 m Ah cm^(-2).Coupling the F-Al anode with graphite-based cathodes,high-voltage dual-ion Al metal batteries can be achieved with long-term cycle stability up to 1,200 cycles(at 0.5 m A cm^(-2)),surpassing the counterparts using pristine Al metal anode.Furthermore,the effectiveness of this surficial modification strategy is also elucidated with the aid of theoretical calculation.This work provides novel insights on low-cost and facile strategies against the Al dendrite growth in aluminum batteries.展开更多
Low-cost,flexible and safe battery technology is the key to the widespread usage of wearable electronics,among which the aqueous Al ion battery with water-in-salt electrolyte is a promising candidate.In this work,a fl...Low-cost,flexible and safe battery technology is the key to the widespread usage of wearable electronics,among which the aqueous Al ion battery with water-in-salt electrolyte is a promising candidate.In this work,a flexible aqueous Al ion battery is developed using cellulose paper as substrate.The water-in-salt electrolyte is stored inside the paper,while the electrodes are either printed or attached on the paper surface,leading to a lightweight and thin-film battery prototype.Currently,this battery can tolerate a charge and discharge rate as high as 4 A g^(-1) without losing its storage capacity.The charge voltage is around 2.2 V,while the discharge plateau of 1.6–1.8 V is among the highest in reported aqueous Al ion batteries,together with a high discharge specific capacity of~140 mAh g^(-1).However,due to the water electrolysis side reaction,the faradaic efficiency can only reach 85%with a cycle life of 250 due to the dry out of electrolyte.Benefited from using flexible materials and aqueous electrolyte,this paper-based Al ion battery can tolerate various deformations such as bending,rolling and even puncturing without losing its performance.When two single cells are connected in series,the battery pack can provide a charge voltage of 4.3 V and a discharge plateau as high as 3–3.6 V,which are very close to commercial Li ion batteries.Such a cheap,flexible and safe battery technology may be widely applied in low-cost and large-quantity applications,such as RFID tags,smart packages and wearable biosensors in the future.展开更多
Hydrogel electrolyte is especially suitable for solid-state Al-air batteries targeted for various portable applications, which may, however, lead to continuous Al corrosion during battery standby. To tackle this issue...Hydrogel electrolyte is especially suitable for solid-state Al-air batteries targeted for various portable applications, which may, however, lead to continuous Al corrosion during battery standby. To tackle this issue, an ethanol gel electrolyte is developed for Al-air battery for the first time in this work, by using KOH as solute and polyethylene oxide as gelling agent. The ethanol gel is found to effectively inhibit Al corrosion compared with the water gel counterpart, leading to stable Al storage. When assembled into an Al-air battery, the ethanol gel electrolyte achieves a much improved discharge lifetime and specific capacity, which are 5.3 and 4.1 times of the water gel electrolyte at 0.1 mA cm^(-2), respectively.By studying the gel properties, it is found that a lower ethanol purity can improve the battery power output, but at the price of decreased discharge efficiency. On the contrary, a higher polymer concentration will decrease the power output, but can bring extra benefit to the discharge efficiency. As for the gel thickness, a moderate value of 1 mm is preferred to balance the power output and energy efficiency. Finally, to cater the increasing market of flexible electronics, a flexible Al-air battery is developed by impregnating the ethanol gel into a paper substrate, which can function normally even under serious deformation or damage.展开更多
基金supported by the Czech Science Foundation(GACR No.2016124J)supported by the grant of Specific university researchgrant No.A2_FCHT_2022_056
文摘The growing demand for substitutes of lithium chemistries in battery leads to a surge in budding novel anion-based electrochemical energy storage,where the chloride ion batteries(CIBs)take over the role.The application of CIBs is limited by the dissolution and side reaction of chloride-based electrode materials in a liquid electrolyte.On the flipside,its solid-state electrolytes are scarcely reported due to the challenge in realizing fast Cl^(-)conductivity.The present study reports[Al(DMSO)_(6)]Cl_(3),a solid-state metal-organic material,allows chloride ion transfer.The strong Al-Cl bonds in AlCl_(3)are broken down after coordinating of Al^(3+)by ligand DMSO,and Cl^(-)in the resulting compound is weakly bound to complexions[Al(DMSO)_(6)]^(3+),which may facilitate Cl^(-)migration.By partial replacement of Cl^(-)with PF_(6)^(-),the room-temperature ionic conductivity of as-prepared electrolyte is increased by one order of magnitude from 2.172×10^(-5)S cm^(-1)to 2.012×10^(-4)S cm^(-1).When they are assembled with Ag(anode)/Ag-AgCl(cathode)electrode system,reversible electrochemical redox reactions occur on both sides,demonstrating its potential for solid-state chloride ion batteries.The strategy by weakening the bonding interaction using organic ligands between Cl^(-)and central metallic ions may provide new ideas for developing solid chloride-ion conductors.
基金financially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(21701083)Postgraduate Research&Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province(KYCX20_3137)。
文摘Solid polymer composite electrolytes possess the benefits of superior compatibility with electrodes and good thermal characteristics for more secure energy storage equipment.Herein,a new gel polymer electrolyte(GPE)containing NH_(2)-MIL-53(Al),[PP_(13)][TFSI],LiTFSI,and PVDF-HFP was prepared using a simple method of solution casting.The effects of encapsulating different ratios of ionic liquid([PP_(13)][TFSI])into the micropores of functionalized metal-organic frameworks(NH_(2)-MIL-53(Al))on the electrochemical properties were compared.XRD,SEM,nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms,and electrochemical measurements were conducted.This GPE demonstrates a superior ionic conductivity of 8.08×10^(-4)S·cm^(-1)at 60℃and can sustain a discharge specific capacity of 156.6 mA·h·g^(-1)at 0.2 C for over 100 cycles.This work might offer a potential approach to alleviate the solid-solid contact with the solid-state electrolyte and electrodes and broaden a new window for the creation of all-solid-state batteries.
基金Financial support from National Key R&D Program of China(Grant No.2018YFB0104400)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.11672341,11572002 and 51874019)+2 种基金Innovative Research Groups of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.11521202)National Materials Genome Project(Grant No.2016YFB0700600)Beijing Natural Science Foundation(Grant Nos.16L00001 and 2182065).
文摘For addressing the critical problems in current collectors in the aluminium batteries,a variety of carbonbased current collectors,including carbon fiber textiles and three-dimensional(3D)biomass-derivative carbon(BDC)networks,are employed for serving as lightweight non-metal current collectors.The results indicate that all the carbon-based current collectors have electrochemical stability in the acidic electrolyte environments.In the assembled aluminium batteries with all-carbon positive electrodes,thermal annealing process on the carbon-based current collectors has substantially promoted the entire electrochemical energy storage performance.Additionally,both the structure configuration and chemical components of the current collectors have also great impact on the rate capability and cycling stability,implying that the 3D BDC networks are more favorable to offer promoted energy storage capability.Implication of the results from suggests that the carbon-based current collectors and all-carbon positive electrodes are able to deliver more advantages in energy storage behaviors in comparison with the traditional positive electrodes with metal Mo current collectors.Such novel strategy promises a new route for fabricating highperformance positive electrodes for stable advanced aluminium batteries.
基金supported by Anhui Province Research and Development Innovation Project for Automotive Power Battery Efficient Recycling System, China
文摘A uniform Al-doped LiNi_(0.5)Co_(0.2)Mn_(0.3)O_(2) cathode material was prepared using a coprecipitation method to take advantage of the positive effect of Al on regenerated NCM(Ni,Co,Mn)cathode materials and ameliorate cumbersome and high-cost impurity removal processes during lithium-ion battery recycling.When the Al^(3+) content in the leachate was 1 at.%with respect to the total amount of transition metals(Ni,Co,and Mn),the produced Al-doped NCM cathode material increased concentrations of lattice oxygen and Ni^(2+).The initial specific capacity at 0.1C was 167.4 mA·h/g,with a capacity retention of 79.1%after 400 cycles at 1C.Further,this Al-doped sample showed improved rate performance and a smaller electrochemical impedance.These findings provide a reference for developing industrial processes to resynthesize cathode materials with improved electrochemical performance by incorporating Al^(3+) impurities produced during lithium-ion battery recycling.
基金This work is supported by the Equipment Pre-research Laboratory Foundation in Central South University,China(No.6142912200104).
文摘The effects of 0.01 wt.%Ga on microstructure and electrochemical performance of Al−0.4Mg−0.05Sn−0.03Hg anodes in NaOH solutions were investigated.Potentiodynamic polarization,electrochemical impedance spectroscopy,and galvanostatic discharge tests were used to assess the electrochemical performance of the Al−Mg−Sn−Hg−Ga anodes.The results show that the addition of 0.01 wt.%Ga in Al−0.4Mg−0.05Sn−0.03Hg anode enhances its corrosion resistance and discharge activity.It is benefited from the refined second phases and homogenous microstructure of Al−Mg−Sn−Hg−Ga anode,which restrains the local crystallographic corrosion and chunk effect.Compared with Al−Mg−Sn−Hg anode,the corrosion current density and the mass loss rate of Al−Mg−Sn−Hg−Ga anode decrease by 57%and 93%,respectively.When discharging at the current density of 20 mA/cm^(2),the discharge voltage,current efficiency and specific capacity of the single Al−air battery with Al−0.4Mg−0.05Sn−0.03Hg−0.01Ga anode are 1.46 V,33.1%,and 1019.2 A·h·kg^(−1),respectively.The activation mechanism of Ga on Al−Mg−Sn−Hg−Ga anode materials was also discussed.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (nos. 21671200 and 21571189)Fujian Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 2015J01072)+1 种基金the Hunan Provincial Science and Technology Plan Project, China (no. 2016TP1007)Innovation-Driven Project of Central South University (no. 2016CXS009)
文摘Highly efficient and non-precious catalysts are imperative for oxygen reduction reaction（ORR） to replace Pt/C. Anchoring efficient active species to carbon supports is a promising and scalable strategy. Here we synthesize Cu nanoparticles and noncrystalline CuNxCy species co-decorated ketjenblack（KB） carbon catalyst（denoted as Cu-N-KB-acid） by a facile and scalable method using copper sulfate, melamine, and KB as raw materials. An initial one-pot hydrothermal treatment is designed before pyrolysis process to achieve the good distribution of Cu and melamine on KB via a possible chelation effect. Owing to the synergistic effect of Cu and CuNxCy on KB, this composite catalyst displays excellent ORR catalytic activity in alkaline solution, which is comparable to the commercial 20% Pt/C. When used as a catalyst in a home-made Al-air battery, it shows a stable discharge voltage of 1.47 V at a discharge density of 50 mA cm-2, a little higher than that of Pt/C（1.45 V）.
文摘Al-doped LiVPO4F cathode materials LiAlxV1-xPO4F were prepared by two-step reactions based on a car-bothermal reduction （CTR） process. The properties of the Al-doped LiVPO4F were investigated by X-ray diffraction （XRD）,scanning electron microscopy （SEM）,and electrochemical measurements. XRD studies show that the Al-doped LiVPO4F has the same triclinic structure （space group p-↑1 ） as the undoped LiVPO4F. The SEM images exhibit that the particle size of Al-doped LiVPO4F is smaller than that of the undoped LiVPO4F and that the smallest particle size is only about 1 μm. The Al-doped LiVPO4F was evaluated as a cathode material for secondary lithium batteries,and exhibited an improved reversibility and cycleability,which may be attributed to the addition of Al^3＋ ion by stabilizing the triclinic structure.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(22075028)the Beijing Institute of Technology Research Fund Program for Young Scholars(XSQD202108005)。
文摘Al metal possesses ultrahigh theoretical volumetric capacity of 8,040 m Ah cm^(-3),and gravimetric capacity of 2,980 m Ah g^(-1),and thus is highly attractive for electrochemical energy storage.However,it suffers from several issues,such as the dendrite formation,during Al stripping-deposition cycling,which has been verified to account for the short circuit and limited cyclic performance.Herein,we use a facile and applicable method to in-situ reconstruct the Al anode surface with F-Al-O chemical bonds,which could preferentially induce the planar growth of Al along the interface plane,thus leading to the dendrite-free morphology evolution during the cycling.Benefiting from F-Al-O chemical bonds on the surface of Al anodes,long lifespan of symmetric cells can be realized even under 1 m A cm^(-2)and 1 m Ah cm^(-2).Coupling the F-Al anode with graphite-based cathodes,high-voltage dual-ion Al metal batteries can be achieved with long-term cycle stability up to 1,200 cycles(at 0.5 m A cm^(-2)),surpassing the counterparts using pristine Al metal anode.Furthermore,the effectiveness of this surficial modification strategy is also elucidated with the aid of theoretical calculation.This work provides novel insights on low-cost and facile strategies against the Al dendrite growth in aluminum batteries.
基金The authors would like to acknowledge the CRF grant of the Hong Kong Research Grant Council(C5031-20G)the CRCG grant of the University of Hong Kong(201910160008)the research start-up fund of Harbin Institute of Technology,Shenzhen(CA45001039)for providing funding support to this project.
文摘Low-cost,flexible and safe battery technology is the key to the widespread usage of wearable electronics,among which the aqueous Al ion battery with water-in-salt electrolyte is a promising candidate.In this work,a flexible aqueous Al ion battery is developed using cellulose paper as substrate.The water-in-salt electrolyte is stored inside the paper,while the electrodes are either printed or attached on the paper surface,leading to a lightweight and thin-film battery prototype.Currently,this battery can tolerate a charge and discharge rate as high as 4 A g^(-1) without losing its storage capacity.The charge voltage is around 2.2 V,while the discharge plateau of 1.6–1.8 V is among the highest in reported aqueous Al ion batteries,together with a high discharge specific capacity of~140 mAh g^(-1).However,due to the water electrolysis side reaction,the faradaic efficiency can only reach 85%with a cycle life of 250 due to the dry out of electrolyte.Benefited from using flexible materials and aqueous electrolyte,this paper-based Al ion battery can tolerate various deformations such as bending,rolling and even puncturing without losing its performance.When two single cells are connected in series,the battery pack can provide a charge voltage of 4.3 V and a discharge plateau as high as 3–3.6 V,which are very close to commercial Li ion batteries.Such a cheap,flexible and safe battery technology may be widely applied in low-cost and large-quantity applications,such as RFID tags,smart packages and wearable biosensors in the future.
基金the SZSTI of Shenzhen Municipal Government (JCYJ20170818141758464)the CRCG grant of the University of Hong Kong (201910160008)。
文摘Hydrogel electrolyte is especially suitable for solid-state Al-air batteries targeted for various portable applications, which may, however, lead to continuous Al corrosion during battery standby. To tackle this issue, an ethanol gel electrolyte is developed for Al-air battery for the first time in this work, by using KOH as solute and polyethylene oxide as gelling agent. The ethanol gel is found to effectively inhibit Al corrosion compared with the water gel counterpart, leading to stable Al storage. When assembled into an Al-air battery, the ethanol gel electrolyte achieves a much improved discharge lifetime and specific capacity, which are 5.3 and 4.1 times of the water gel electrolyte at 0.1 mA cm^(-2), respectively.By studying the gel properties, it is found that a lower ethanol purity can improve the battery power output, but at the price of decreased discharge efficiency. On the contrary, a higher polymer concentration will decrease the power output, but can bring extra benefit to the discharge efficiency. As for the gel thickness, a moderate value of 1 mm is preferred to balance the power output and energy efficiency. Finally, to cater the increasing market of flexible electronics, a flexible Al-air battery is developed by impregnating the ethanol gel into a paper substrate, which can function normally even under serious deformation or damage.
