Printed Ag-Zn batteries with high energy density and air stability for ubiquitous electronics applications

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Printed electronics has received attention in recent years as a technology for the realization of ultra-low-cost electronic systems, and also for the realization of electronics on flexible substrates. Proposed applications include RFID tags and embedded sensors. Given the interest in low-cost tags and sensors, there has been an upsurge in interest in printed batteries. Unfortunately, the cost of integrating conventional batteries into such systems is unacceptably high. What is needed, therefore, is a printed battery technology that is implementable at low cost and meets the performance needs of these applications. Conventional printed alkaline batteries do not provide the energy density required, while lithium cells are too expensive to integrate due their strong oxygen sensitivity. A battery technology that addresses these tradeoffs is required.In this work, the investigators are developing a novel printed battery technology based on a Zn/Ag-based silver oxide chemistry. Nanoparticle inks of the various metals and metal oxides required to fabricate a Zn/Ag battery are synthesized and printed using gravure printing and pneumatic dispensing. A printable cellulosic / polymer KOH electrolyte is printed as an electrolyte / separator layer. Based on promising initial results, extensive optimization of materials and printing processes are being used to realize a primary cell with energy density on par with state of the art lithium cells, but with the manufacturability and low cost of more conventional alkaline cells. The entire cell is printed on plastic, thus enabling direct integration into low-cost printed electronic systems.