Multi-ion channel functional gel electrolytes enable 1.55 V open-circuit voltage and high conversion efficiency in photorechargeable zinc–air batteries

Flexible all-solid-state zinc-air batteries (AZABs) paired with flexible perovskite solar cell successfully produce photo-rechargeable zinc-air batteries (PAZABs) that can directly convert solar energy into electrical energy and store it in real-time. The open-circuit voltage (VOC) of a AZABs directly influences the energy density of PAZABs; However, increasing the VOC remains a significant challenge. In this work, we designed and synthesized a functional gel electrolyte with multiple ion channels, achieving an impressive VOC of 1.55 V for the AZABs. This polymer structure enhances OH- transport by increasing the number of N+ sites, providing abundant multi-ionic transport channels and accelerating the storage rate of photogenerated charges. Additionally, the synergistic interaction between N+ and -COO- increases the binding energy with H2O, elevates the electron cloud density at the Zn anode interface, suppresses the formation of ZnO, and improves the cycling stability of the AZABs. The flexible AZABs exhibits a high discharge capacity of 740 mAh g-1. When coupled with flexible perovskite solar cell, the PAZABs achieved impressive 16.5% overall conversion efficiency, setting a new benchmark among peers.