Citation: Bowen Xu, Hongkun Zhang, Xuantian Feng, Da Zhang, Bin Yang, Feng Liang. Constructing high-performance quasi-solid-state sodium-air batteries with water-soluble discharge products using heterogeneous hydrogel electrolytes[J]. Chinese Chemical Letters, ;2026, 37(6): 111880. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2025.111880 shu

Constructing high-performance quasi-solid-state sodium-air batteries with water-soluble discharge products using heterogeneous hydrogel electrolytes

Bowen Xu ^{a, b, c} ,
Hongkun Zhang ^{a, b, c} ,
Xuantian Feng ^{a, b, c} ,
Da Zhang ^{a, b, c, *,} ,
Bin Yang ^{a, b, c} ,
Feng Liang ^{a, b, c, *,}

a.
Key Laboratory for Nonferrous Vacuum Metallurgy of Yunnan Province, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650093, China
b.
National Engineering Research Center of Vacuum Metallurgy, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650093, China
c.
School of Metallurgical and Energy Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650093, China

zhangda@kust.edu.cn

liangfeng@kust.edu.cn

Received Date: 29 July 2025
Revised Date: 11 September 2025
Accepted Date: 23 September 2025
Available Online: 23 September 2025

Figures(7)

The construction of quasi-solid-state sodium-air batteries (SABs) by replacing traditional liquid electrolytes with gel electrolytes has become one of the future focus areas in the SABs field. However, the currently developed quasi-solid-state SABs inevitably produce insoluble discharge products during the discharge process, which leads to limited rate capability and poor cycling stability. In this study, a hydrogel electrolyte (PANa-NCNT) containing nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (NCNT) and sodium polyacrylate (PANa) was designed, and a quasi-solid-state SAB with highly water-soluble NaOH as the main discharge product was constructed. The physical entanglement between NCNT and PANa in the PANa-NCNT hydrogel electrolyte leads to the heterogeneous structure of gel, which effectively enhances the thermodynamic stability of the hydrogel electrolyte. In addition, the aqueous components of electrolyte determine the reaction pathway of battery. During discharge, the oxygen reduction reaction proceeds via 2e^- pathway to generate soluble NaOH, while during charging, the oxygen evolution reaction exhibits a mixed 2e^-/4e^- reaction pathway. Benefiting from the good thermodynamic stability of PANa-NCNT hydrogel electrolyte and the water-soluble discharge products, the fabricated quasi-solid-state SAB demonstrates stable cycling for 330 cycles (187 h) at 0.5 mA/cm² in ambient air. These findings reveal the influence of the liquid-phase components in the gel electrolyte on the reaction pathways, which is conducive to promoting the application of hydrogels in quasi-solid-state SABs.
- Sodium-air battery,
- Hydrogel,
- Discharge products,
- Thermodynamic stability,
- Rate capability
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