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 (<em>V_OC</em>) of a AZABs directly influences the energy density of PAZABs; However, increasing the <em>V_OC</em> remains a significant challenge. In this work, we designed and synthesized a functional gel electrolyte with multiple ion channels, achieving an impressive <em>V_OC</em> 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.