New Flexible Battery Stretches 5000%
Researchers at Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications in China have developed a highly flexible lithium-ion battery that can stretch up to 5000 percent without compromising performance. The battery retains its charge storage capacity even after 70 charge-discharge cycles. This innovation addresses the need for flexible batteries to power the increasing number of flexible electronic devices, such as rollable phones and wearable health monitors.
The team, led by Professor Wen-Yong Lai, used elastic components throughout the battery. They created a thin film of conductive paste with silver nanowires, carbon black, and lithium-based materials, over which they applied a flexible polydimethylsiloxane layer. A highly conductive liquid and lithium salt were then combined with a polymer to create a stretchable solid electrolyte activated by light. The battery’s final assembly included another electrode film and a protective casing.
This stretchable battery not only demonstrated significant flexibility but also increased the average charge capacity by six times compared to typical liquid electrolytes. It maintained stable capacity over 1,000 charge-discharge cycles, with only a one percent drop in performance after 30 cycles, compared to a 16 percent drop for liquid electrolytes.
While the battery requires further improvement, this successful implementation marks a significant step toward the widespread adoption of flexible batteries for various devices.