Flexible fiber batteries for applications in smart textiles

TL;DR

This paper explores two innovative approaches to creating flexible, textile-integrated batteries: one using inorganic galvanic cells with fiber-based packaging, and another employing solid polymer electrolytes for soft, rechargeable batteries.

Contribution

It introduces novel methods for integrating flexible batteries into textiles, including co-drawn fiber electrodes with liquid electrolytes and solid polymer electrolyte-based rechargeable batteries.

Findings

Successful fabrication of fiber-shaped batteries with inorganic chemistry.

Development of fully solid, soft rechargeable batteries compatible with textiles.

Potential for seamless integration into smart textiles for wearable electronics.

Abstract

Here we discuss two alternative approaches for building flexible batteries for applications in smart textiles. The first approach uses well-studied inorganic electrochemistry (Al-NaOCl galvanic cell) and innovative packaging in order to produce batteries in a slender and flexible fiber form that can be further weaved directly into the textiles. During fabrication process the battery electrodes are co-drawn within a microstructured polymer fiber, which is later filled with liquid electrolyte. The second approach describes Li-ion chemistry within solid polymer electrolytes that are used to build a fully solid and soft rechargeable battery that can be furthermore stitched onto a textile, or integrated as stripes during weaving process.