Water-Restrained Hydrogel Electrolytes with Repulsion-Driven Cationic Express Pathways for Durable Zinc-Ion Batteries.

ABSTRACT: The development of flexible zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) faces a three-way trade-off among the ionic conductivity, Zn²⁺ mobility, and the electrochemical stability of hydrogel electrolytes. To address this challenge, we designed a cationic hydrogel named PAPTMA to holistically improve the reversibility of ZIBs. The long cationic branch chains in the polymeric matrix construct express pathways for rapid Zn²⁺ transport through an ionic repulsion mechanism, achieving simultaneously high Zn²⁺ transference number (0.79) and high ionic conductivity (28.7 mS cm^-1). Additionally, the reactivity of water in the PAPTMA hydrogels is significantly inhibited, thus possessing a strong resistance to parasitic reactions. Mechanical characterization further reveals

SUBMITTER: Lin D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11920515 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature