Metallopolymer as a Solid Electrolyte for Rechargeable Zn-Metal Alkaline Batteries

Solid-electrolyte-based rechargeable metal-ion batteries hold great promise as low-cost, flexible, and high-safety energy storage devices. Zn-metal alkaline batteries, developed for more than a century, have dominated the market of primary batteries, but remain nonchargeable, because of serious side reactions and irreversible anodic reactions. A key component involved in these unfavorable reactions is the alkaline electrolyte. Here, we report a solid metallopolymer electrolyte (SME) with low alkaline solution uptake, high mechanical strength, exceptional stability, and excellent ion conductivity for rechargeable Zn-metal alkaline batteries. Compared to alkaline cells based on liquid and hydrogel electrolytes, SME-based Zn-metal alkaline batteries show dramatically enhanced cycling performance under harsh testing conditions by suppressing the electrolyte depletion and anode passivation.