@article{Mi2026, 
author = {Yongqi Mi and Shaopei Yang and Shimeng Guo and Jiajun He and Yujia Guo and Yanxuan Yin and Pengcheng Du},
title = {Bipolar polymer-graphene composite cathodes for high-performance aqueous zinc-ion batteries with efficient self-charging capability},
year = {2026},
journal = {Nano Research},
volume = {19},
number = {7},
pages = {94908674},
keywords = {self-charging, aqueous zinc-ion battery, bipolar polymer, graphene-based composite electrode},
url = {https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.26599/NR.2026.94908674},
doi = {10.26599/NR.2026.94908674},
abstract = {Developing organic cathodes that combine robust electrochemical performance with functional versatility is pivotal for the advancement of aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs). Herein, we design a bipolar polymer-graphene composite cathode, poly(1,8-diaminonaphthalene)-reduced graphene oxide (PDAN-rGO), through in situ polymerization on graphene sheets. The conductive graphene network and bipolar redox-active polymer synergistically enable a dual-ion storage mechanism involving both Zn2+ and CF3SO3−. The PDAN-rGO cathode delivers a high reversible capacity of 162.67 mAh·g−1 at 0.1 A·g−1, excellent rate performance (101.12 mAh·g−1 at 20 A·g−1), and outstanding cycling stability with 89.18% capacity retention after 10,000 cycles. Notably, the cathode exhibits a thermodynamically favorable redox potential that allows spontaneous chemical oxidation by atmospheric oxygen, leading to an efficient self-charging function. The battery achieves an open-circuit voltage of 1.25 V and recovers 95.2% of its capacity without any external power input. This work offers a high-performance bipolar cathode design and a feasible strategy for building self-sustaining energy storage systems.}
}