Thermally drawn rechargeable battery fiber enables pervasive power

Journal Article · 19 December 2021 · Materials Today

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mattod.2021.11.020 · OSTI ID:1981704

Khudiyev, Tural ^[1]; Grena, Benjamin ^[1]; Loke, Gabriel ^[1]; Hou, Chong ^[2]; Jang, Hyeonji ^[3]; Lee, Jinhyuk ^[4]; Noel, Grace H. ^[5]; Alain, Juliette ^[1]; Joannopoulos, John ^[6]; Xu, Kang ^[7]; Li, Ju ^[8]; Fink, Yoel ^[8]; Lee, Jung Tae ^[3]

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1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)
2. Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hubei (China)
3. Kyung Hee University, Gyeonggi-do (Korea, Republic of)
4. Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, Cambridge, MA (United States)
5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (United States)
6. Department of Physics, Cambridge, MA (United States); Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (United States)
7. U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Adelphi, MD (United States)
8. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States); Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, Cambridge, MA (United States)

The increasing demand for mobile computing, communications, and robotics presents a growing need for suitable portable power solutions in non-flat customized electronic devices. Fibers as fundamental building blocks of fabrics and 3D-printed objects provide unique opportunities for developing pervasive multidimensional power systems. The characteristic small diameter (<10^–3 m) and high aspect ratios (>10⁶) of fibers and expansion of fibers into 2D and 3D power systems necessitate ultra-long lengths to meet the energy specifications of portable electronic systems. Here, we present a Li-ion battery fiber, fabricated for the first time using a thermal drawing method which occurs with simultaneous flows of multiple complex electroactive gels, particles, and polymers within protective flexible cladding. This top-down approach allows for the production of fully-functional and arbitrarily long lithium-ion fiber batteries. The continuous 140 m fiber battery demonstrates a discharge capacity of ~123 mAh and discharge energy of ~217 mWh. The scalability and material tunability of these fibers position them for use in varied non-planar electronic systems, including a 1D-flexible electronic fiber, a 2D-large-scale machine woven electronic fabric (~1.6 m²), and a 3D-printed structural electronic system. The fiber battery satisfies the requirements of portable electronics systems as it is machine washable, flexible, usable underwater, and fire/rupture-safe. Here, we have demonstrated the powering of a submarine drone, LiFi fabric, and flying drone communication through different rechargeable fiber battery schemes, which paves the way for the emergence of the pervasive battery-powered electronics.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (JCESR)
• Sponsoring Organization: National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF); National Science Foundation (NSF); National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship; US Army Research Laboratory; US Army Research Office; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
• Grant/Contract Number: AC02-06CH11357
• OSTI ID: 1981704
• Journal Information: Materials Today, Journal Name: Materials Today Journal Issue: C Vol. 52; ISSN 1369-7021
• Publisher: ElsevierCopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English