Nanomaterial-Enhanced All-Solid Flexible Zinc−Carbon Batteries (original) (raw)

E nergy and mobility are among the most important requirements in today's consumer electronic devices. Mobile energy is generally provided by electrochemical energy storage devices, traditionally batteries and, more recently, supercapacitors for high-power density applications. Portable devices demand increasing energy densities and decreasing footprint. Current research in battery technologies is focused on (i) exploration of anode/cathode materials with high-energy storage capacity and cyclability, 1 (ii) exploration of liquid-free electrolyte materials with higher ionic conductivities, which addresses the flammability of organic solvents and removes stringent packaging requirements, 2,3 and (iii) optimization of the electrode/electrolyte interface to improve the cell safety and lifetime. 4 Apart from these, simple battery fabrication methods utilizing thin, lightweight, and costeffective materials are sought for next generation batteries. Current battery technology comprises a bulky and inflexible design, mainly as a result of protective packaging requirements due to flammability of solvents. Many modern device con-*Address correspondence to pv237@cam.ac.uk. ABSTRACT Solid-state and flexible zinc carbon (or Leclanché) batteries are fabricated using a combination of functional nanostructured materials for optimum performance. Flexible carbon nanofiber mats obtained by electrospinning are used as a current collector and cathode support for the batteries. The cathode layer consists of manganese oxide particles combined with single-walled carbon nanotubes for improved conductivity. A polyethylene oxide layer containing titanium oxide nanoparticles forms the electrolyte layer, and a thin zinc foil is used as the anode. The battery is shown to retain its performance under mechanically stressed conditions. The results show that the above configuration can achieve solid-state mechanical flexibility and increased shelf life with little sacrifice in performance.