Ultrathin Aluminum–Air Batteries via Hygroscopic Electrolytes for Continuous Operation of Imperceptible On‐Skin Electronics

ABSTRACT On‐skin power sources require ultrathin form factors, safety, and mechanical robustness, but few battery platforms simultaneously satisfy these requirements. Here, we report the thinnest Al–air batteries to date (<270 µm) enabled by hygroscopic hydrogel electrolytes. Operating in a water‐in‐salt regime with highly concentrated ionic species, strong ion–water interactions suppress electrolyte dehydration and Al self‐corrosion, while enabling high‐capacity operation of 2479 mAh g ‒1 at 10 mA cm ‒2 in ultrathin architectures. The cells withstand over 3000 bending cycles at a bending radius of 1 mm and remain functional under severe deformation, including crumpling, cutting, and perforation. Stable operation over more than 1000 cycles of repeated anode replacement suggests an operational lifespan exceeding 8000 h. When integrated with organic electrochemical transistor‐based biosensors, the system enables continuous, real‐time physiological signal monitoring with a signal fidelity of up to 31.1 dB, providing a viable route toward continuous operation of conformal epidermal electronic systems.

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Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Energy Materials
Published
2026-07-17
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.71309
Primary Topic
Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Ultrathin Aluminum–Air Batteries via Hygroscopic Electrolytes for Continuous Operation of Imperceptible On‐Skin Electronics

Giwon Lee, Hoon‐Hee Ryu, Myung‐Han Yoon, Daegun Kim et al.
Advanced Energy Materials
Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials
article

Ultrathin Aluminum–Air Batteries via Hygroscopic Electrolytes for Continuous Operation of Imperceptible On‐Skin Electronics

Giwon Lee, Hoon‐Hee Ryu, Myung‐Han Yoon, Daegun Kim, Jinhan Cho, Seung Joon Yoo, Namhee Kim, Joo Sung Kim, Sungjun Park, Wonseok Shin, Woo‐Jin Song, Jaeil Park, Inho Lee
article en

Abstract

ABSTRACT On‐skin power sources require ultrathin form factors, safety, and mechanical robustness, but few battery platforms simultaneously satisfy these requirements. Here, we report the thinnest Al–air batteries to date (<270 µm) enabled by hygroscopic hydrogel electrolytes. Operating in a water‐in‐salt regime with highly concentrated ionic species, strong ion–water interactions suppress electrolyte dehydration and Al self‐corrosion, while enabling high‐capacity operation of 2479 mAh g ‒1 at 10 mA cm ‒2 in ultrathin architectures. The cells withstand over 3000 bending cycles at a bending radius of 1 mm and remain functional under severe deformation, including crumpling, cutting, and perforation. Stable operation over more than 1000 cycles of repeated anode replacement suggests an operational lifespan exceeding 8000 h. When integrated with organic electrochemical transistor‐based biosensors, the system enables continuous, real‐time physiological signal monitoring with a signal fidelity of up to 31.1 dB, providing a viable route toward continuous operation of conformal epidermal electronic systems.

Advanced Energy Materials
Gachon University (KR), Kwangwoon University (KR), Chungnam National University (KR), Korea University (KR), Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (KR), Korea Institute of Fusion Energy (KR), RIKEN Advanced Science Institute (JP), Korea University (JP), Ajou University (KR)
National Research Foundation of Korea
Openalex Percentile: Top 15%
Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials
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