# Flexible electrochemical energy storage devices and related applications: recent progress and challenges

## TL;DR

This paper reviews recent progress in flexible energy storage devices, focusing on materials and strategies to improve performance for wearable electronics.

## Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive review of design strategies for flexible energy storage components and highlights future directions for next-generation systems.

## Key findings

- Carbon-based and conductive polymer materials are key for flexible energy storage devices.
- Optimization of fabrication processes improves mechanical and electrochemical performance.
- Applications include supercapacitors, lithium-ion, and zinc-ion batteries.

## Abstract

Given the escalating demand for wearable electronics, there is an urgent need to explore cost-effective and environmentally friendly flexible energy storage devices with exceptional electrochemical properties. However, the existing types of flexible energy storage devices encounter challenges in effectively integrating mechanical and electrochemical performances. This review is intended to provide strategies for the design of components in flexible energy storage devices (electrode materials, gel electrolytes, and separators) with the aim of developing energy storage systems with excellent performance and deformability. Firstly, a concise overview is provided on the structural characteristics and properties of carbon-based materials and conductive polymer materials utilized in flexible energy storage devices. Secondly, the fabrication process and strategies for optimizing their structures are summarized. Subsequently, a comprehensive review is presented regarding the applications of carbon-based materials and conductive polymer materials in various fields of flexible energy storage, such as supercapacitors, lithium-ion batteries, and zinc-ion batteries. Finally, the challenges and future directions for next-generation flexible energy storage systems are proposed.

This paper reviews advancements in flexible carbon-based and polymer gel materials for various types of energy storage systems, providing guidance for future development of next-generation wearable electronics.