All-solid-state Al–air batteries with polymer alkaline gel electrolyte

Abstract

Aluminum–air (Al–air) battery is one of the most promising candidates for next-generation energy storage systems because of its high capacity and energy density, and abundance. The polyacrylic acid (PAA)-based alkaline gel electrolyte is used in all-solid-state Al–air batteries instead of aqueous electrolytes to prevent leakage. The optimal gel electrolyte exhibits an ionic conductivity of 460 mS cm−1, which is close to that of aqueous electrolytes. The Al–air battery peak capacity and energy density considering only Al can reach 1166 mAh g−1-Al and 1230 mWh g−1-Al, respectively, during constant current discharge. The battery prototype also exhibits a high power density of 91.13 mW cm−2. For the battery is a laminated structure, area densities of 29.2 mAh cm−2 and 30.8 mWh cm−2 are presented to appraise the performance of the whole cell. A novel design to inhibit anodic corrosion is proposed by separating the Al anode from the gel electrolyte when not in use, thereby effectively maintaining the available capacity of the battery.