Advancing Energy Storage: Sustainable Moldable Batteries with PVA and Rechargeable Copper Zinc Cells

The increasing environmental toll of conventional battery production and disposal necessitates the exploration of sustainable alternatives. In this context, our battery emerges as an innovative solution, replacing rare and toxic metals with more abundant materials like copper and zinc. This shift in material utilization will markedly decrease the environmental degradation associated with the mining and processing of rare earth metals. With the imperative to curb environmental hazards from battery waste, hydrogel batteries stand out for their advantages such as moldability, efficient use of space, and reduction in material waste. Through analyzing the effects of various chemical and physical conditions our study produced a moldable PVA battery that can achieve both optimal voltage and charge retention to meet the standards of current batteries while harnessing many advantages for environmental safety and novel usage in modern batteries.