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Shape‐Reconfigurable Aluminum–Air Batteries
Author(s) -
Choi Sangjin,
Lee Daehee,
Kim Gwangmook,
Lee Yoon Yun,
Kim Bokyung,
Moon Jooho,
Shim Wooyoung
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.201702244
Subject(s) - materials science , battery (electricity) , fabrication , shape memory alloy , composite number , energy storage , nanotechnology , composite material , power (physics) , medicine , physics , alternative medicine , pathology , quantum mechanics
The battery shape is a critical limiting factor affecting foreseeable energy storage applications. In particular, deformable metal–air battery systems can offer low cost, low flammability, and high capacity, but the fabrication of such metal–air batteries remains challenging. Here, it is shown that a shape‐reconfigurable‐material approach, in which the deformable components composed of micro‐ and nanoscale composites are assembled, is suitable for constructing polymorphic metal–air batteries. By employing an aluminum foil and an adhesive carbon composite placed on a cellulose scaffold as a substrate, an aluminum–air battery that can be deformed to an unprecedented high level, e.g., via expanding, folding, stacking, and crumpling, can be realized. This significant deformability results in a specific capacity of 128 mA h g −1 (496 mA h g −1 per cell; based on the mass of consumed aluminum) and a high output voltage (10.3 V) with 16 unit battery cells connected in series. The resulting battery can endure significant geometrical distortions such as 3D expanding and twisting, while the electrochemical performance is preserved. This work represents an advancement in deformable aluminum–air batteries using the shape‐reconfigurable‐material concept, thus establishing a paradigm for shape‐reconfigurable batteries with exceptional mechanical functionalities.