Safe and deformable soft batteries are highly desirable for applications such as mobile electronics and conformable systems on irregular surfaces. Conventional Li-ion batteries rely on rigid packaging and hermetic sealing to block moisture intrusion and prevent leakage of toxic, flammable organic electrolytes. In contrast, recently reported deformable or stretchable batteries provide good conformability but suffer rapid performance degradation in ambient conditions, limiting their operating lifetimes. The fundamental challenge is that mechanical softness and gas impermeability are mutually constrained: low-modulus polymers provide flexibility but contain free volume that facilitates moisture penetration. Moreover, conventional electrolytes remain hazardous, while flexible packaging materials are easily damaged under real-world conditions. To address these limitations, this project adopts a non-toxic aqueous hydrogel electrolyte as a safer alternative to organic systems and aims to improve environmental stability without compromising flexibility. In addition to material innovations, we emphasize scalable fabrication routes for flexible batteries to enable real-world applications. Strategies such as roll-to-roll processing and printable electrodes are being implemented to transition laboratory prototypes into manufacturable devices. This scalability is essential to integrate flexible, safe batteries into consumer electronics, wearable systems, and large-area conformable devices at industrially relevant cost and throughput.
Project currently funded by: Member Fees