Electrospun MOF/PAN composite separator with superior electrochemical performances for high energy density lithium batteries

Research Advances in Rare-Earth-Based Solid Electrolytes for All-Solid-State Batteries

All-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) and solid-state electrolytes (SSE) have emerged as promising alternative energy storage devices for traditional lithium-ion batteries, drawing significant attention from researchers. Notably, SSE materials incorporating rare earth elements have demonstrated remarkable advancements in terms of ionic conductivity, electrochemical stability, and cycle-reversible performance. The unique electron layer structures of rare earth elements facilitate diverse energy level transitions. Meanwhile, their relatively large ionic radius contributes to excellent ionic conductivity, mechanical strength, and electrochemical properties in the electrolyte. This paper offers a comprehensive review of rare-earth-based oxide solid electrolytes, rare-earth-based sulfide solid electrolytes, rare-earth-based halide solid electrolytes, and composite polymer electrolytes enriched with rare earth elements. The characteristics, applications, modification methods, and underlying mechanisms of these SSE materials are investigated, offering valuable insights and inspiration for the design of future SSE materials. Additionally, this paper systematically presents solutions for improving the performance of ASSBs and explores the ion transmission in these batteries. Finally, the research direction, optimization methods, and development prospects of rare-earth-based solid electrolytes are analyzed and forecasted.

Porous Organic Framework Materials (MOF, COF, and HOF) as the Multifunctional Separator for Rechargeable Lithium Metal Batteries

The separator is an important component in batteries, with the primary function of separating the positive and negative electrodes and allowing the free passage of ions. Porous organic framework materials have a stable connection structure, large specific surface area, and ordered pores, which are natural places to store electrolytes. And these materials with specific functions can be designed according to the needs of researchers. The performance of porous organic framework-based separators used in rechargeable lithium metal batteries is much better than that of polyethylene/propylene separators. In this paper, the three most classic organic framework materials (MOF, COF, and HOF) are analyzed and summarized. The applications of MOF, COF, and HOF separators in lithium-sulfur batteries, lithium metal anode, and solid electrolytes are reviewed. Meanwhile, the research progress of these three materials in different fields is discussed based on time. Finally, in the conclusion, the problems encountered by MOF, COF, and HOF in different fields as well as their future research priorities are presented. This review will provide theoretical guidance for the design of porous framework materials with specific functions and further stimulate researchers to conduct research on porous framework materials.

Eco-Friendly Lithium Separators: A Frontier Exploration of Cellulose-Based Materials

Lithium-ion batteries, as an excellent energy storage solution, require continuous innovation in component design to enhance safety and performance. In this review, we delve into the field of eco-friendly lithium-ion battery separators, focusing on the potential of cellulose-based materials as sustainable alternatives to traditional polyolefin separators. Our analysis shows that cellulose materials, with their inherent degradability and renewability, can provide exceptional thermal stability, electrolyte absorption capability, and economic feasibility. We systematically classify and analyze the latest advancements in cellulose-based battery separators, highlighting the critical role of their superior hydrophilicity and mechanical strength in improving ion transport efficiency and reducing internal short circuits. The novelty of this review lies in the comprehensive evaluation of synthesis methods and cost-effectiveness of cellulose-based separators, addressing significant knowledge gaps in the existing literature. We explore production processes and their scalability in detail, and propose innovative modification strategies such as chemical functionalization and nanocomposite integration to significantly enhance separator performance metrics. Our forward-looking discussion predicts the development trajectory of cellulose-based separators, identifying key areas for future research to overcome current challenges and accelerate the commercialization of these green technologies. Looking ahead, cellulose-based separators not only have the potential to meet but also to exceed the benchmarks set by traditional materials, providing compelling solutions for the next generation of lithium-ion batteries.

Synthesis of PMIA/MIL-101(Cr) composite separators with high Li+ transmission for boosting safety and electrochemical performance of lithium-ion batteries

Energy storage devices require separators with sufficient lithium-ion transfer and restrained lithium dendrite growth. Herein, PMIA separators tuned using MIL-101(Cr) (PMIA/MIL-101) were designed and fabricated by a one-step casting process. At 150 °C, the Cr³⁺ in the MIL-101(Cr) framework sheds two water molecules to form an active metal site that complexes with PF₆^- in the electrolyte on the solid/liquid interface, leading to improved Li⁺ transport. The Li⁺ transference number of the PMIA/MIL-101 composite separator was found to be 0.65, which is about 3 times higher than that of the pure PMIA separator (0.23). Additionally, MIL-101(Cr) can modulate the pore size and porosity of the PMIA separator, while its porous structure also functions as additional storage space for the electrolyte, enhancing the electrochemical performance of the PMIA separator. After 50 charge/discharge cycles, batteries assembled using the PMIA/MIL-101 composite separator and the PMIA separator presented a discharge specific capacity of 120.4 and 108.6 mAh/g, respectively. The battery assembled using PMIA/MIL-101 composite separator significantly outperformed both the batteries assembled from pure PMIA and commercial PP separators in terms of cycling performance at 2 C, displaying a discharge specific capacity of 1.5 times that of the battery assembled from PP separators. The chemical complexation of Cr³⁺ and PF₆^- plays a critical role to improve the electrochemical performance of the PMIA/MIL-101 composite separator. The tunability and enhanced properties of the PMIA/MIL-101 composite separator make it a promising candidate for use in energy storage devices.

Advances of Electroactive Metal-Organic Frameworks

The preparation of electroactive metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for applications of supercapacitors and batteries has received much attention and remarkable progress during the past few years. MOF-based materials including pristine MOFs, hybrid MOFs or MOF composites, and MOF derivatives are well designed by a combination of organic linkers (e.g., carboxylic acids, conjugated aromatic phenols/thiols, conjugated aromatic amines, and N-heterocyclic donors) and metal salts to construct predictable structures with appropriate properties. This review will focus on construction strategies of pristine MOFs and hybrid MOFs as anodes, cathodes, separators, and electrolytes in supercapacitors and batteries. Descriptions and discussions follow categories of electrochemical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs), pseudocapacitors (PSCs), and hybrid supercapacitors (HSCs) for supercapacitors. In contrast, Li-ion batteries (LIBs), Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs), Lithium-oxygen batteries (LOBs), Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), Sodium-sulfur batteries (SSBs), Zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs), Zinc-air batteries (ZABs), Aluminum-sulfur batteries (ASBs), and others (e.g., LiSe, NiZn, H⁺ , alkaline, organic, and redox flow batteries) are categorized for batteries.

Activated Biocarbon from Paper Mill Sludge as Electrode Material for Supercapacitors: Comparative Performance Evaluation in Two Aqueous Electrolytes

The valorization of a South African paper mill waste sludge into an activated biocarbon electrode material for energy storage application is reported. The valorization method is a two-step synthesis that comprises hydrothermal carbonization and NaOH activation of paper mill waste at 700 °C to produce activated biocarbon. The development of high porosity carbon material with a surface area of 1139 m²/g was observed. The synthesized biocarbon electrode exhibited good specific capacitance (C _sp) values of 206 and 157 Fg^-1, from a three-electrode cell in neutral (1 M Na₂SO₄) and alkali (3 M KOH) electrolytes, respectively. The electrolyte concentration purportedly has a considerable effect on specific capacitance. In both electrolytes, symmetric triangular curves in galvanostatic charge-discharge point to a quick charge-discharge process. Synthesized material testing with a two-electrode cell in 3 M KOH and 1 M Na₂SO₄ electrolytes, respectively, delivered specific capacitances of 125 and 152 Fg^-1, with the corresponding energy densities of 17.4 and 21.1 Wh kg^-1. The material had capacity retention efficiencies of 83 and 92% after 5000 cycles in 3 M KOH and 1 M Na₂SO₄ electrolytes, respectively. The electrode material performance of the activated biocarbon from paper sludge clearly shows its potential for electrochemical energy storage. The reported results present an exciting potential contribution of the pulp and paper industry toward the transition to green energy.

Recent Advances in Metal-Organic Framework (MOF) Asymmetric Membranes/Composites for Biomedical Applications

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a new class of porous crystalline materials composed of metal and organic material. MOFs have fascinating properties, such as fine tunability, large specific surface area, and high porosity. MOFs are widely used for environmental protection, biosensors, regenerative medicine, medical engineering, cell therapy, catalysts, and drug delivery. Recent studies have reported various significant properties of MOFs for biomedical applications, such as drug detection and delivery. In contrast, MOFs have limitations such as low stability and low specificity in binding to the target. MOF-based membranes improve the stability and specificity of conventional MOFs by increasing the surface area and developing the possibility of MOF-ligand binding, while conjugated membranes dramatically increase the area of active functional groups. This special property makes them attractive for drug and biosensor fabrication, as both the spreading and solubility components of the porosity can be changed. Asymmetric membranes are a structure with high potential in the biomedical field, due to the different characteristics on its two surfaces, the possibility of adjusting various properties such as the size of porosity, transfer rate and selectivity, and surface properties such as hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity. MOF assisted asymmetric membranes can provide a platform with different properties and characteristics in the biomedical field. The latest version of MOF materials/membranes has several potential applications, especially in medical engineering, cell therapy, drug delivery, and regenerative medicine, which will be discussed in this review, along with their advantages, disadvantages, and challenges.

Polyacrylonitrile-Polyvinyl Alcohol-Based Composite Gel-Polymer Electrolyte for All-Solid-State Lithium-Ion Batteries

The three-dimensional (3D) structure of batteries nowadays obtains a lot of attention because it provides the electrodes a vast surface area to accommodate and employ more active material, resulting in a notable increase in areal capacity. However, the integration of polymer electrolytes to complicated three-dimensional structures without defects is appealing. This paper presents the creation of a flawless conformal coating for a distinctive 3D-structured NiO/Ni anode using a simple thermal oxidation technique and a polymer electrolyte consisting of three layers of PAN-(PAN-PVA)-PVA with the addition of Al₂O₃ nanoparticles as nanofillers. Such a composition with a unique combination of polymers demonstrated superior electrode performance. PAN in the polymer matrix provides mechanical stability and corrosion resistance, while PVA contributes to excellent ionic conductivity. As a result, NiO/Ni@PAN-(PAN-PVA)-PVA with 0.5 wt% Al₂O₃ NPs configuration demonstrated enhanced cycling stability and superior electrochemical performance, reaching 546 mAh g^-1 at a 0.1 C rate.

High electrolyte uptake of MXene integrated membrane separators for Zn-ion batteries

The recent development of separators with high flexibility, high electrolyte uptake, and ionic conductivity for batteries have gained considerable attention. However, studies on composite separators with the aforementioned properties for aqueous electrolytes in Zn-ion batteries are limited. In this research, a polyacrylonitrile (PAN)/bio-based polyurethane (PU)/Ti3C2Tx MXene composite membrane was fabricated using an electrospinning technique. Ti3C2 MXene was embedded in fibers and formed a spindle-like structure. With Ti3C2Tx MXene, the electrolyte uptake and ionic conductivity reached the superior values of 2214% and 3.35 × 10-3 S cm-1, respectively. The composite membrane presented an excellent charge-discharge stability when assembled in a Zn//Zn symmetrical battery. Moreover, the developed separator exhibited a high flexibility and no dimensional and structural changes after heat treatment, which resulted in the high-performance separator for the Zn-ion battery. Overall, the PAN/bio-based PU/Ti3C2Tx MXene composite membrane can be potentially used as a high-performance separator for Zn-ion batteries.

CO2 Capture from High-Humidity Flue Gas Using a Stable Metal–Organic Framework

The flue gas from fossil fuel power plants is a long-term stable and concentrated emission source of CO2, and it is imperative to reduce its emission. Adsorbents have played a pivotal role in reducing CO2 emissions in recent years, but the presence of water vapor in flue gas poses a challenge to the stability of adsorbents. In this study, ZIF-94, one of the ZIF adsorbents, showed good CO2 uptake (53.30 cm3/g), and the calculated CO2/N2 (15:85, v/v) selectivity was 54.12 at 298 K. Because of its excellent structural and performance stability under humid conditions, the CO2/N2 mixture was still well-separated on ZIF-94 with a separation time of 30.4 min when the relative humidity was as high as 99.2%, which was similar to the separation time of the dry gas experiments (33.2 min). These results pointed to the enormous potential applications of ZIF-94 for CO2/N2 separation under high humidity conditions in industrial settings.

Metal-organic framework (MOF) composites as promising materials for energy storage applications

Metal-organic framework (MOF) composites are considered to be one of the most vital energy storage materials due to their advantages of high porousness, multifunction, various structures and controllable chemical compositions, which provide a great possibility to find suitable electrode materials for batteries and supercapacitors. However, MOF composites are still in the face of various challenges and difficulties that hinder their practical application. In this review, we introduce and summarize the applications of MOF composites in batteries, covering metal-ion batteries, lithium-sulfur batteries, lithium-oxygen batteries and zinc-air batteries, as well as supercapacitors. In addition, the application challenges of MOF composites in batteries and supercapacitors are also summarized. Finally, the basic ideas and directions for further development of these two types of electrochemical energy storage devices are proposed.

Effects of the Separator MOF-Al2O3 Coating on Battery Rate Performance and Solid-Electrolyte Interphase Formation

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have unique advantages in optimizing the ionic conductivity of battery separators because of their rich cavity structure and highly ordered and connected pores. In this study, we used a hydrothermal method to synthesize a functional material, Ag-MOF crystal, as a separator coating content, and then studied the properties and application effect of the MOF-Al₂O₃-blended coating applying to a polyethylene (PE) separator (MOF_xAl_1-x/PE). Results show that MOF_0.08Al_0.92/PE (MOF/Al₂O₃ = 0.08:0.92) used in NCM811||Li cells significantly not only improves the fast charge-discharge performance of the cells but also inhibits the growth of lithium dendrites during long-term charge-discharge cycling; the Li⁺ transference number (t_Li⁺) of the MOF_0.08Al_0.92/PE composite separator is 0.61; the Li||separator||Li half-cell circulates stably for 1000 h at varying current density from 0.5 to 10 mA cm^-2 and only produces low overpotentials, indicating that MOF_0.08Al_0.92 stabilizes lithium. The initial capacity of the NCM811||Li cell using the MOF_0.08Al_0.92/PE separator is 165.0 mA h g^-1, its capacity retention is 70.67% after 300 cycles at 5 C, and the interface resistance of the cells only increases from 13.8 to 31.5 Ω, whereas the capacity retention of Al₂O₃/PE separator batteries is only 40.41% (62.2 mA h g^-1) under the same conditions. During the charge-discharge cycling, the MOF-Al₂O₃ coating induces the lithium anode to quickly form a stable and dense solid-electrolyte interphase layer, promotes the uniform deposition of Li⁺, and inhibits the growth of lithium dendrites as well.

MOF-Enabled Ion-Regulating Gel Electrolyte for Long-Cycling Lithium Metal Batteries Under High Voltage

High-voltage lithium metal batteries (LMBs) are a promising high-energy-density energy storage system. However, their practical implementations are impeded by short lifespan due to uncontrolled lithium dendrite growth, narrow electrochemical stability window, and safety concerns of liquid electrolytes. Here, a porous composite aerogel is reported as the gel electrolyte (GE) matrix, made of metal-organic framework (MOF)@bacterial cellulose (BC), to enable long-life LMBs under high voltage. The effectiveness of suppressing dendrite growth is achieved by regulating ion deposition and facilitating ion conduction. Specifically, two hierarchical mesoporous Zr-based MOFs with different organic linkers, that is, UiO-66 and NH₂ -UiO-66, are embedded into BC aerogel skeletons. The results indicate that NH₂ -UiO-66 with anionphilic linkers is more effective in increasing the Li⁺ transference number; the intermolecular interactions between BC and NH₂ -UiO-66 markedly increase the electrochemical stability. The resulting GE shows high ionic conductivity (≈1 mS cm^-1 ), high Li⁺ transference number (0.82), wide electrochemical stability window (4.9 V), and excellent thermal stability. Incorporating this GE in a symmetrical Li cell successfully prolongs the cycle life to 1200 h. Paired with the Ni-rich LiNiCoAlO₂ (Ni: Co: Al = 8.15:1.5:0.35, NCA) cathode, the NH₂ -UiO-66@BC GE significantly improves the capacity, rate performance, and cycle stability, manifesting its feasibility to operate under high voltage.