Transparent electrode and metal-air secondary battery comprising the same

Separator-free transparent zinc-air battery electrode with ion-exchange resin thin film formed along metal wires

This technology is a transparent electrode structure that forms a thin film by partially embedding an ion-exchange resin along the metal wires of a metal mesh. It maintains insulation while securing light transmission paths through the mesh pores.

Conventional transparent batteries have struggled to simultaneously satisfy flexibility and light transmittance. In particular, the separator-stacked structure within the electrode often reduces light transmittance or increases internal resistance, limiting charge-discharge performance.

This technology involves stacking a metal mesh onto a partially dried ion-exchange resin, immersing it in a hydroxide solution, and then detaching it, ensuring the thin film forms only along the metal wires while keeping the pores open. The resulting transparent electrode is used as the air cathode for zinc-air secondary batteries. It can be applied to transparent display-integrated power sources, smart windows, and flexible batteries for wearable devices, achieving an average transmittance of over 30% in the 400–700 nm visible light range without the need for a separate separator.

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Key Features:

• Stacking a metal mesh onto a partially dried ion-exchange resin
• Immersing the ion-exchange resin with the stacked metal mesh in a hydroxide solution such as NaOH or KOH
• Detaching the metal mesh from the immersed ion-exchange resin to obtain a transparent electrode with a resin thin film formed along the metal wires
• A hydroxide ion-containing electrolyte gel disposed between an air cathode comprising the transparent electrode and a zinc electrode comprising a zinc-containing metal mesh

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