Fabric based printed-distributed battery for wearable e-textiles: a review

Figures & data

Figure 1. Developments in hybrid energy systems based on nanogenerators and energy storage devices through integration, hybridization, and all-in-one design for self-charging capability of future electronics. Reprinted, with permission, from [14]. © 2017, Kim et al

Figure 2. Ragone plot for the fundamental electrical energy storage devices

Figure 3. The potential applications of textile-based electrochemical energy storage devices in various areas. Reprinted, with permission, from [38]. © 2016, Wiley-VCH

Figure 4. Schematic representation of a printed battery in a sandwich cell architecture, where the anode and cathode of the battery are stacked together. Reprinted, with permission, from [48]. © 2018, John Wiley & Sons

Figure 5. Classification of printing technologies

Figure 6. A). Stepwise screen printing of a Zn-Ag₂O battery on a stretchable textile using a styrene-isoprene-styrene (SIS) binder. B). The discharge capacity during prolonged cycle, cycled with 3 mA h cm⁻². (A, B) Reprinted, with permission, from [82]. © 2016, Wiley-VCH

Table 1. Printing technologies applied to e-textiles: resolution and advantages and disadvantages

Printing methods	Resolution, µm	Viscosity, mPa·s*	Cost	Throughput	Maintenance Requirement
Screen printing	20–100	50–5000	Low	High	Low
Inkjet printing	5–200	2–25	Low	Low	High
Flexography	30–80	1000–2000	High	High	High
Gravure printing	15	10–800	High	High	Low

mPa·s* stands for millipascal-seconds. The viscosity of ink can be measured using millipascal-seconds (mPa·s) or centipoises (cP), where 1 cP equals 1 mPa·s. The more viscous a printing ink is, the more resistant it’s to flow.

Figure 7. Classification of power supply mechanisms for electronic textiles and wearables

Figure 8. A). Self-powered textile device produced by hybridizing fiber-shaped triboelectric nanogenerators (F-TENG), dye-sensitized solar cells (F-DSSC), and supercapacitors (F-SC). B). Circuit diagram of the self-charging powered textile for wearable electronics. C). Charging curve of the F-DSSC and the F-TENG, where the light blue-shaded area corresponds to the charging curve of the F-DSSC and the light red–shaded area corresponds to the charging curve of the F–DSSC/F-TENG hybrid. The top left corner inset shows an enlarged curve during the F-DSSC charging period, and the bottom right corner inset shows the rectified short-circuit current, I_SC of F-TENGs. (A, B, C) Reprinted, with permission, from [103]. © 2016, The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee AAAS. Distributed under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license

Figure 9. Schematic of different energy hybridization approaches between battery and supercapacitor electrodes and materials

Figure 10. A). Schematic representation of textile-based battery including each functional layers and textile packaging. B). Two screen-printed textile-based liquid-activated batteries before activation. C). after activation by using 20 μL of deionized (D.I.) water and connected in series to power a 1.6 V light-emitting diode. (A, B, C) Reprinted, with permission, from [118]. © 2015, IOP Publishing. Distributed under a CC BY 3.0 license

Figure 11. Characterization of the flexible Zn-MnO₂ based alkaline printed battery. A). Demonstration of two flexible batteries connected in series to power a green light-emitting diode. B). The flexible batteries connected in series were able to power a green light-emitting diode when flexed to a bend radius of 0.3 cm. C). Discharge profile of the flexible battery when discharged at 0.5, 1, and 2 mA when flat. D). Discharge profile of the flexible battery when flexed to different radii of curvature while discharging at 1 mA. (A, B, C, D) Reprinted, with permission, from [122]. © 2011, Wiley-VCH

Figure 12. A). Two screen printed monovalent silver oxide -zinc (Ag₂O-Zn) alkaline battery cells on two separate fabrics and combined in series using flexible Cu/Ni electrical threads for maximum electrical contact. B) Power discharge curve showing the power generated as a function of time for different battery cells connected in series at a discharge current of 100 µA. (A, B) Reprinted, with permission, from [132]. © 2018, IEEE

Table 2. Summary of merits and demerits for different batteries in terms of safety, capacity, and cycle life

Types of batteries	Specifications/comparisons				Refs.
	Safety	Maintenancerequirement	Cycle life	Capacity/ Voltage
Textile	Non-hazardous	Routine	Low-self	10^−2 to 10^−1 mAh/cm,
lithium	chemicals	maintenance	discharge and	3.2 to 11.2 mWh/g.	[135],
battery		required	long shelf-life	A single cell produces 0.32 to 0.5 V under a lithium iodide film.	[136]
Water-	Completely	No	Negligible self-	A single cell produces
activated	safe relative	maintenance	discharge rates	1.3 V using various liquids
battery	to others	requirement		such as de-ionized water, tap water, phosphate buffered saline, and artificial sweat.	[118]
Alkaline batteries (Ag2O-Zn, MnO2-Zn)	Safe compared to lithium batteries	Fewer maintenance are required to ensure good performance	Low self-discharge compared to zinc-air battery	A single cell Ag2O-Zn battery generates 1.46 V, in a 10 M NaOH, and ~80 µW for 3 hours at 100 µA discharge current	[132]
				A single cell MnO2-Zn battery produces 1.52 V, and a discharge capacity of 5.6 mAh cm^−2 when discharged at 0.5 mA.	[121]

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