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Creators/Authors contains: "Rojaee, Ramin"

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  2. Abstract

    Developing promising solid‐state Li batteries with capabilities of high current densities have been a major challenge partly due to large interfacial resistance across the electrode/electrolyte interfaces. This work represents an integrated network of self‐standing polymer electrolyte and active electrode materials with in situ UV cross‐linking. This method provides a uniform morphology of composite polymer electrolyte with low thickness of 20–40 μm. This modification leads to promising cycling results with 85% specific capacity retention in Li||LiFePO4cell over 100 cycles at high current densities of 170 mA g−1(~25 μA cm−2, 1 C).By applying this method, the interfacial resistance decreases as high as seven folds compared to noncross‐linked interfaces. The following work introduce a facile and cost‐effective method in developing fast‐charging self‐standing polymer batteries with enhanced electrochemical properties.

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  3. Abstract

    Proper distribution of thermally conductive nanomaterials in polymer batteries offers new opportunities to mitigate performance degradations associated with local hot spots and safety concerns in batteries. Herein, a direct ink writing (DIW) method is utilized to fabricate polyethylene oxide (PEO) composite polymers electrolytes (CPE) embedded with silane‐treated hexagonal boron nitride (S‐hBN) platelets and free of any volatile organic solvents. It is observed that the S‐hBN platelets are well aligned in the printed CPE during the DIW process. The in‐plane thermal conductivity of the printed CPE with the aligned S‐hBN platelets is 1.031 W−1K−1, which is about 1.7 times that of the pristine CPE with the randomly dispersed S‐hBN platelets (0.612 W−1K−1). Thermal imaging shows that the peak temperature (°C) of the printed electrolytes is 24.2% lower than that of the CPE without S‐hBN, and 10.6% lower than that of the CPE with the randomly dispersed S‐hBN, indicating a superior thermal transport property. Lithium‐ion half‐cells made with the printed CPE and LiFePO4cathode displayed high specific discharge capacity of 146.0 mAh g−1and stable Coulombic efficiency of 91% for 100 cycles at room temperature. This work facilitates the development of printable thermally‐conductive polymers for safer battery operations.

     
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  4. Abstract

    Despite significant interest toward solid‐state electrolytes owing to their superior safety in comparison to liquid‐based electrolytes, sluggish ion diffusion and high interfacial resistance limit their application in durable and high‐power density batteries. Here, a novel quasi‐solid Li+ion conductive nanocomposite polymer electrolyte containing black phosphorous (BP) nanosheets is reported. The developed electrolyte is successfully cycled against Li metal (over 550 h cycling) at 1 mA cm−2at room temperature. The cycling overpotential is dropped by 75% in comparison to BP‐free polymer composite electrolyte indicating lower interfacial resistance at the electrode/electrolyte interfaces. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that the coordination number of Li+ions around (trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (TFSI) pairs and ethylene‐oxide chains decreases at the Li metal/electrolyte interface, which facilitates the Li+transport through the polymer host. Density functional theory calculations confirm that the adsorption of the LiTFSI molecules at the BP surface leads to the weakening of N and Li atomic bonding and enhances the dissociation of Li+ions. This work offers a new potential mechanism to tune the bulk and interfacial ionic conductivity of solid‐state electrolytes that may lead to a new generation of lithium polymer batteries with high ionic conduction kinetics and stable long‐life cycling.

     
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  5. Abstract

    Dendritic growth of lithium (Li) has severely impeded the practical application of Li‐metal batteries. Herein, a 3D conformal graphene oxide nanosheet (GOn) coating, confined into the woven structure of a glass fiber separator, is reported, which permits facile transport of Li‐ions thought its structure, meanwhile regulating the Li deposition. Electrochemical measurements illustrate a remarkably enhanced cycle life and stability of the Li‐metal anode, which is explained by various microscopy and modeling results. Utilizing scanning electron microscopy, focused ion beam, and optical imaging, the formation of an uniform Li film on the electrode surface in the case of GO‐modified samples is revealed. Ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations suggest that Li‐ions initially get adsorbed to the lithiophilic GOn and then diffuse through defect sites. This delayed Li transfer eliminates the “tip effect” leading to a more homogeneous Li nucleation. Meanwhile, CC bonds rupture observed in the GO during AIMD simulations creates more pathways for faster Li‐ions transport. In addition, phase‐field modeling demonstrates that mechanically rigid GOn coating with proper defect size (smaller than 25 nm) can physically block the anisotropic growth of Li. This new understanding is a significant step toward the employment of 2D materials for regulating the Li deposition.

     
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