Nanofluidic-engineered carbon nanotube ion highways in hydrogels enable high-power aqueous zinc-ion batteries.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 41259502.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/sciadv.adx9812 and PMC identifier 12629143.
- Licence recorded as CC BY-NC.
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Abstract
Quasi-solid polymer electrolytes (QSPEs) for flexible batteries face critical limitations in ion transport efficiency at high currents. We address this with a design of nanofluidic polyacrylamide hydrogel integrating aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) as ion highways [SWCNT-embedded polyacrylamide(CPAM)]. Photo-polymerization ensures homogeneous SWCNT distribution, delivering a high ionic conductivity of 30.3 mS cm<sup>-1</sup> while shielding polymer matrices from ion collision. Molecular dynamics simulations identify three ion transport modes, dominated by SWCNT-confined pathways. The CPAM-based Zn||Zn cell exhibits ultralong cycling (7000 hours), and Zn|CPAM|Zn<sub>0.25</sub>V<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub> cells retain 80% capacity after 2000 cycles at 40 A g<sup>-1</sup> (19.2 kW kg<sup>-1</sup>). Cryogenic operation (-15°C) and pouch cells further demonstrate the robust performance of CPAM. This work transcends conventional compromises of QSPEs, enabling wearables with ultrafast charging/discharging, cryogenic tolerance, and mechanical resilience.