Hydrogel-based electrolytes for enhanced ion transport

Water-based Zn-ion batteries (ZIBs) have gained significant attention owing to their promising potential as sustainable energy storage solutions. However, challenges persist in optimizing their performance, particularly concerning ion transport within the electrolyte. Currently, we investigate the utilization of various hydrogels as electrolytes in ZIBs to tailor ion transport properties.

Hydrogels, with their tunable physicochemical properties, offer a versatile platform for enhancing ion transport in ZIBs. By systematically employing different kinds of hydrogels (e.g., hyaluronic acid, zwitterionic polymers, polyelectrolytes, and cellulose-based hydrogels), we aim to elucidate the influence of the different hydrogels, their structure, porosity, and charge-density on the ion diffusion kinetics and overall battery performance. The incorporation of hydrogel-based electrolytes is expected to mitigate issues such as zinc dendrite formation, hydrogen evolution, and electrolyte depletion, thereby improving the cycling stability, overall performance, and safety.

Experimental characterization techniques including electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry  will be employed to assess the ion transport properties and electrochemical performance within the ZIBs. Furthermore, scattering techniques such as small-angle x-ray/neutron scattering (SAXS and SANS) and quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS) are used to obtain structural and dynamical properties of the hydrogels. MD simulations will support the obtained experimental data.

In combination, our findings aim to provide insights into the design and optimization of water-based ZIBs, paving the way for the development of efficient and environmentally friendly energy storage technologies.

Are you interested in developing next generation batteries? Please reach out to me via lucas.kreuzer@frm2.tum.de, currently there are open positions for master students. 

Figure 1: Schematic of an hydrogel-based batterie. (Figure taken from P. Yang et al., Hydrogels Enable Future Smart Batteries, ACS Nano, 2022, 16, 10, 15528–15536)