Hierarchical 3D Electrode Design with High Mass Loading Enabling High-Energy-Density Flexible Lithium-Ion Batteries

Abstract

Flexible lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have attracted significant attention owing to their ever-increasing use in flexible and wearable electronic devices. However, the practical application of flexible LIBs in devices has been plagued by the challenge of simultaneously achieving high energy density and high flexibility. Herein, a hierarchical 3D electrode (H3DE) is introduced with high mass loading that can construct highly flexible LIBs with ultrahigh energy density. The H3DE features a bicontinuous structure and the active materials along with conductive agents are uniformly distributed on the 3D framework regardless of the active material type. The bicontinuous electrode/electrolyte integration enables a rapid ion/electron transport, thereby improving the redox kinetics and lowering the internal cell resistance. Moreover, the H3DE exhibits exceptional structural integrity and flexibility during repeated mechanical deformations. Benefiting from the remarkable physicochemical properties, pouch-type flexible LIBs using H3DE demonstrate stable cycling under various bending states, achieving a record-high energy density (438.6 Wh kg−1 and 20.4 mWh cm−2), and areal capacity (5.6 mAh cm−2), outperforming all previously reported flexible LIBs. This study provides a feasible solution for the preparation of high-energy-density flexible LIBs for various energy storage devices.