Self-supporting pattern-customizable electrodes for transparent stretchable zinc batteries

The rapid advancement of flexible and integrated smart electronic devices creates an urgent demand for flexible, transparent, and stretchable multifunctional energy storage devices. However, the development of multifunctional integrated energy storage devices faces significant challenges, including insufficient electrode deformation tolerance during repeated stretching and the detachment of active electrode materials, leading to degraded electrochemical performance and reduced transparency. Here, we report a self-supporting serpentine nickel micromesh (SNM) with high transparency ( T  = 90.5%) and excellent mechanical stretchability, exhibiting only a 16% increase in sheet resistance after 200 cycles at a 50% elongation. Based on the transparent and stretchable SNM, we further fabricate self-supporting, transparent, and stretchable SNM@NiCoP cathodes and SNM@Zn anodes by electrodepositing NiCoP nanospheres and Zn nanosheets, respectively. The electrochemical deposition technique firmly integrates the stretchable conductive SNM with highly reactive materials, ensuring stability under deformation. The assembled transparent and stretchable alkaline zinc-ion batteries (TSA-ZIBs) deliver a specific capacity of 5.7 μAh cm −2 at a current density of 0.6 mA cm −2 . The TSA-ZIBs achieved an optical transmittance of 54%, with a capacity retention rate of 69.6% after 150 cycles at a 20% elongation, demonstrating excellent mechanical stretchability and electrochemical performance. This work proposes a self-supporting, highly transparent, and stretchable electrode, offering new insights for the development of multifunctional integrated energy storage devices.