Abstract:

Zinc ion batteries (ZIBs) offer the advantages of environmental friendliness, high safety and low cost. However, the inherent challenges of dendrite growth in zinc cathodes and aqueous electrolytes (such as hydrolysis reactions, water evaporation and electrolyte leakage) make them less stable in practice in terms of cycling. Polymer electrolytes with their low water content and high modulus of elasticity can effectively overcome these challenges. In this paper, the basic principles of polymer electrolytes and their research progress in ZIBs are reviewed, various strategies used to improve the electrochemical and mechanical properties of solid polymer electrolytes in recent years are introduced, and the mechanism of action and application progress of different strategies are analyzed and compared. The application of gel polymer electrolytes in ZIBs and the research status of functional gel electrolytes are expounded, and the prospects for their application in flexible smart electronic devices are demonstrated. Finally, this paper presented challenges in developing high-performance ZIBs based on polymer electrolytes, such as deficiencies in ionic conductivity and mechanical strength, interfacial problems and functional singularity. The prospects for overcoming these challenges are pointed out to provide references and lessons for research on polymer electrolytes in ZIBs.

Key words: zinc-ion batteries, Zn dendrites, electrolytes, polymers, security

摘要：

锌离子电池（ZIBs）具有环境友好、高安全性和低成本等优势，然而，锌负极的枝晶生长和水系电解质的固有挑战（如水分解反应、水蒸发和电解质泄漏）使其在实际使用中循环稳定性较差。聚合物电解质拥有较低的水含量和较高的弹性模量，能够有效克服上述挑战。本文基于聚合物电解质的基本原理，综述了聚合物电解质在ZIBs中的研究进展，介绍了近年来用于改善固态聚合物电解质电化学性能及力学性能的各种策略，分析对比了不同策略的作用机理及应用进展。阐述了凝胶态聚合物电解质在ZIBs的应用及功能性凝胶电解质的研究现状，展示了其在柔性智能电子设备的应用前景。最后，本文就开发基于聚合物电解质的高性能ZIBs提出挑战，如离子导电性与机械强度不足、界面问题及功能单一等，并提出了克服这些挑战的展望，以期为ZIBs中聚合物电解质的研究提供参考和借鉴。

关键词: 锌离子电池, 锌枝晶, 电解质, 聚合物, 安全