A low-temperature emergency power source designed from warm pastes based on hydrogel

Chuanchao Sheng; Wei Li; Sixie Yang; Xiaowei Mu; Xinyi Sun; Hang Liu; Haoshen Zhou; Ping He

doi:10.1016/j.scib.2025.05.036

A low-temperature emergency power source designed from warm pastes based on hydrogel

Sci Bull (Beijing). 2025 May 30:S2095-9273(25)00576-6. doi: 10.1016/j.scib.2025.05.036. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Chuanchao Sheng¹, Wei Li², Sixie Yang³, Xiaowei Mu⁴, Xinyi Sun¹, Hang Liu¹, Haoshen Zhou⁵, Ping He⁶

Affiliations

¹ Center of Energy Storage Materials & Technology, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Artificial Functional Materials, State Key Laboratory of Solid-State Microstructures and Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.
² Center of Energy Storage Materials & Technology, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Artificial Functional Materials, State Key Laboratory of Solid-State Microstructures and Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China. Electronic address: wei_li@nju.edu.cn.
³ School of Materials Science and Intelligent Engineering, Nanjing University, Suzhou 215163, China.
⁴ School of Materials Science and Engineering, Herbert Gleiter Institute of Nanoscience, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China.
⁵ Center of Energy Storage Materials & Technology, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Artificial Functional Materials, State Key Laboratory of Solid-State Microstructures and Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China. Electronic address: hszhou@nju.edu.cn.
⁶ Center of Energy Storage Materials & Technology, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Artificial Functional Materials, State Key Laboratory of Solid-State Microstructures and Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China. Electronic address: pinghe@nju.edu.cn.

PMID: 40555618
DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2025.05.036

Abstract

Outdoor activities like mountain marathons and field expeditions often occur in harsh environments where maintaining power and body temperature are crucial for survival. Warm pastes are commonly used to provide warmth in cold conditions, but their potential as a portable power source has not been fully explored. This research develops an innovative approach to convert warm-paste chemical energy into electrical power for emergencies. By designing a hydrogel-based iron-air battery with a low-temperature-resistant electrolyte, we created a battery capable of operating in low temperatures. Experimental results showed the battery generating 0.98 V of voltage and 2.68 Ah of capacity. The battery can be manually assembled using original warm paste materials and connected in series to power electronic devices like mobile phones, providing a vital communication tool in emergencies. This breakthrough offers a promising solution for enhancing safety and survival during outdoor activities.

Keywords: Emergency power; Hydrogel electrolyte; Low-temperature; Warm paste.