Shapeable electrodes with extensive materials options and ultra-high loadings for energy storage devices

Abstract

To meet the increasing demand of flexible and wearable electronic devices, a novel injection molding method is established to prepare flexible electrodes with controllable shapes such as film, bowl, wire, etc. It overcomes the materials limitation for traditional methods and could easily create flexible and shapeable electrodes based on 0-D active materials, even with ultra-high loadings and excellent electrochemical performance. Taking flexible and shapeable S/C electrodes as a model, sulfur loadings 24mgcm−2 based on 30nmS/C particles are, for the first time, successfully achieved. It can deliver ultra-high an areal capacity of 27.1mAhcm−2 and a capacity retention of 64.1% after 100 cycles with low electrolyte to sulfur ratio (E/S) of 5.3µLmg−1. In addition, flexible and shapeable Li-ion battery electrodes based on 17mgcm−2 0-D Li3V2(PO4)3 (LVP) electrode could also be obtained, achieving excellent C-rate performance and cycling stability, which is 94mAhg−1 at 5C and nearly 100% capacity retention at 1C during 100 cycles. The results provided a versatile and universal way to create flexible and shapeable electrodes for a variety of energy storage devices.