Solid Polymer Electrolytes with Flexible Framework of SiO2 Nanofibers for Highly Safe Solid Lithium Batteries

ARGET-ATRP-Mediated Grafting of Bifunctional Polymers onto Silica Nanoparticles Fillers for Boosting the Performance of High-Capacity All-Solid-State Lithium-Sulfur Batteries with Polymer Solid Electrolytes

The shuttle effect in lithium-sulfur batteries, which leads to rapid capacity decay, can be effectively suppressed by solid polymer electrolytes. However, the lithium-ion conductivity of polyethylene oxide-based solid electrolytes is relatively low, resulting in low reversible capacity and poor cycling stability of the batteries. In this study, we employed the activator generated through electron transfer atom transfer radical polymerization to graft modify the surface of silica nanoparticles with a bifunctional monomer, 2-acrylamide-2-methylpropanesulfonate, which possesses sulfonic acid groups with low dissociation energy for facilitating Li+ migration and transfer, as well as amide groups capable of forming hydrogen bonds with polyethylene oxide chains. Subsequently, the modified nanoparticles were blended with polyethylene oxide to prepare a solid polymer electrolyte with low crystallinity and high ion conductivity. The resulting electrolyte demonstrated excellent and stable electrochemical performance, with a discharge-specific capacity maintained at 875.2 mAh g-1 after 200 cycles.

Microwave absorption property of GO-Fe/FeO-NiO HNFs: GO decorated Fe/FeO-NiO hexagonal flakes with a 2D/0D/2D structure

In this study, Fe/FeO-NiO HNFs in which 2D NiO hexagonal nanoflakes (NiO HNFs) were decorated by 0D Fe/FeO NPs were prepared by a facile hydrothermal method. Then, 0D/2D Fe/FeO-NiO HNFs were loaded on 2D GO sheets in three different weight ratios of GO (1 : 3), (1 : 4), and (1 : 5) to Fe/FeO-NiO HNFs and a novel GO-Fe/FeO-NiO HNF composite with a 2D/0D/2D structure was successfully produced. TEM images revealed the interesting morphology of the GO-Fe/FeO-NiO HNF composite in which individual FeO NPs with a narrow size distribution (∼15 nm) were arranged in hexagonal NiO nanoflakes, decorated on the GO substrate. Since the morphology of nanomaterials has an important effect on their microwave absorption properties, designing a composite with an asymmetric morphology, which is the combination of zero, one, and two-dimensional nanostructures can be very efficient for adjusting the microwave absorption property. The microwave absorption ability of GO-Fe/FeO-NiO HNF composites was surveyed. All samples of Fe/FeO-NiO HNF composites exhibited superior microwave attenuation performance in terms of reflection loss with a suitable bandwidth. The minimum reflection losses for GO-Fe/FeO-NiO HNFs (1 : 3), (1 : 4), and (1 : 5) reached -75.22, -53, and -18 dB, respectively, and the effective absorption bandwidths (RL ≤ -10 dB) for GO-Fe/FeO-NiO HNFs (1 : 3), (1 : 4), and (1 : 5) were 2, 3 and 3.2 GHz, respectively.

Ultrahigh Elastic Polymer Electrolytes for Solid-State Lithium Batteries with Robust Interfaces

Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) are promising for solid-state lithium batteries, but their practical application is significantly impeded by their low ionic conductivity and poor compatibility. Here, we report an ultrahigh elastic SPE based on cross-linked polyurethane (PU), succinonitrile (SN), and lithium bistrifluoromethanesulfonimide (LiTFSI). The resulting electrolyte (PU-SN-LiTFSI) exhibits an ionic conductivity of 2.86 × 10^-4 S cm^-1, a tensile strength of 3.8 MPa, and a breaking elongation exceeding 3000% at room temperature. A solid-state lithium battery using the electrolyte exhibits a high specific capacity of 150 mAh g^-1 at 0.2C and a long cycling life of up to 700 cycles at 0.5C at room temperature, showing one of the best performances among its counterparts. The excellent performances are attributed to the fact that its ultrahigh elasticity, good ionic conductivity, tensile strength, and electrochemical stability contribute to robust electrode/electrolyte interfaces, thus greatly decreasing the charge-transfer resistance in charge/discharge processes. Our investigations provide a novel strategy to address the intrinsic interfacial issue of solid-state batteries.

Development and Progression of Polymer Electrolytes for Batteries: Influence of Structure and Chemistry

Polymer electrolytes continue to offer the opportunity for safer, high-performing next-generation battery technology. The benefits of a polymeric electrolyte system lie in its ease of processing and flexibility, while ion transport and mechanical strength have been highlighted for improvement. This report discusses how factors, specifically the chemistry and structure of the polymers, have driven the progression of these materials from the early days of PEO. The introduction of ionic polymers has led to advances in ionic conductivity while the use of block copolymers has also increased the mechanical properties and provided more flexibility in solid polymer electrolyte development. The combination of these two, ionic block copolymer materials, are still in their early stages but offer exciting possibilities for the future of this field.

Development on Solid Polymer Electrolytes for Electrochemical Devices

Electrochemical devices, especially energy storage, have been around for many decades. Liquid electrolytes (LEs), which are known for their volatility and flammability, are mostly used in the fabrication of the devices. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and quantum dot sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) are also using electrochemical reaction to operate. Following the demand for green and safer energy sources to replace fossil energy, this has raised the research interest in solid-state electrochemical devices. Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) are among the candidates to replace the LEs. Hence, understanding the mechanism of ions' transport in SPEs is crucial to achieve similar, if not better, performance to that of LEs. In this paper, the development of SPE from basic construction to electrolyte optimization, which includes polymer blending and adding various types of additives, such as plasticizers and fillers, is discussed.

Epoxy-Based Interlocking Membranes for All Solid-State Lithium Ion Batteries: The Effects of Amine Curing Agents on Electrochemical Properties

In this study, a series of crosslinked membranes were prepared as solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) for all-solid-state lithium ion batteries (ASSLIBs). An epoxy-containing copolymer (glycidyl methacrylate-co-poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate, PGA) and two amine curing agents, linear Jeffamine ED2003 and hyperbranched polyethyleneimine (PEI), were utilized to prepare SPEs with various crosslinking degrees. The PGA/polyethylene oxide (PEO) blends were cured by ED2003 and PEI to obtain slightly and heavily crosslinked structures, respectively. For further optimizing the interfacial and the electrochemical properties, an interlocking bilayer membrane based on overlapping and subsequent curing of PGA/PEO/ED2003 and PEO/PEI layers was developed. The presence of this amino/epoxy network can inhibit PEO crystallinity and maintain the dimensional stability of membranes. For the slightly crosslinked PGA/PEO/ED2003 membrane, an ionic conductivity of 5.61 × 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹ and a lithium ion transference number (tLi⁺) of 0.43 were obtained, along with a specific capacity of 156 mAh g⁻¹ (0.05 C) acquired from an assembled half-cell battery. However, the capacity retention retained only 54% after 100 cycles (0.2 C, 80 °C), possibly because the PEO-based electrolyte was inclined to recrystallize after long term thermal treatment. On the other hand, the highly crosslinked PGA/PEO/PEI membrane exhibited a similar ionic conductivity of 3.44 × 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹ and a tLi⁺ of 0.52. Yet, poor interfacial adhesion between the membrane and the cathode brought about a low specific capacity of 48 mAh g⁻¹. For the reinforced interlocking bilayer membrane, an ionic conductivity of 3.24 × 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹ and a tLi⁺ of 0.42 could be achieved. Moreover, the capacity retention reached as high as 80% after 100 cycles (0.2 C, 80 °C). This is because the presence of the epoxy-based interlocking bilayer structure can block the pathway of lithium dendrite puncture effectively. We demonstrate that the unique interlocking bilayer structure is capable of offering a new approach to fabricate a robust SPE for ASSLIBs.

Excellent Performances of Composite Polymer Electrolytes with Porous Vinyl-Functionalized SiO2 Nanoparticles for Lithium Metal Batteries

Composite polymer electrolytes (CPEs) incorporate the advantages of solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) and inorganic solid electrolytes (ISEs), which have shown huge potential in the application of safe lithium-metal batteries (LMBs). Effectively avoiding the agglomeration of inorganic fillers in the polymer matrix during the organic–inorganic mixing process is very important for the properties of the composite electrolyte. Herein, a partial cross-linked PEO-based CPE was prepared by porous vinyl-functionalized silicon (p-V-SiO₂) nanoparticles as fillers and poly (ethylene glycol diacrylate) (PEGDA) as cross-linkers. By combining the mechanical rigidity of ceramic fillers and the flexibility of PEO, the as-made electrolyte membranes had excellent mechanical properties. The big special surface area and pore volume of nanoparticles inhibited PEO recrystallization and promoted the dissolution of lithium salt. Chemical bonding improved the interfacial compatibility between organic and inorganic materials and facilitated the homogenization of lithium-ion flow. As a result, the symmetric Li|CPE|Li cells could operate stably over 450 h without a short circuit. All solid Li|LiFePO₄ batteries were constructed with this composite electrolyte and showed excellent rate and cycling performances. The first discharge-specific capacity of the assembled battery was 155.1 mA h g⁻¹, and the capacity retention was 91% after operating for 300 cycles at 0.5 C. These results demonstrated that the chemical grafting of porous inorganic materials and cross-linking polymerization can greatly improve the properties of CPEs.

Recent Advances on Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Environmental issues related to energy consumption are mainly associated with the strong dependence on fossil fuels. To solve these issues, renewable energy sources systems have been developed as well as advanced energy storage systems. Batteries are the main storage system related to mobility, and they are applied in devices such as laptops, cell phones, and electric vehicles. Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are the most used battery system based on their high specific capacity, long cycle life, and no memory effects. This rapidly evolving field urges for a systematic comparative compilation of the most recent developments on battery technology in order to keep up with the growing number of materials, strategies, and battery performance data, allowing the design of future developments in the field. Thus, this review focuses on the different materials recently developed for the different battery components—anode, cathode, and separator/electrolyte—in order to further improve LIB systems. Moreover, solid polymer electrolytes (SPE) for LIBs are also highlighted. Together with the study of new advanced materials, materials modification by doping or synthesis, the combination of different materials, fillers addition, size manipulation, or the use of high ionic conductor materials are also presented as effective methods to enhance the electrochemical properties of LIBs. Finally, it is also shown that the development of advanced materials is not only focused on improving efficiency but also on the application of more environmentally friendly materials.

Cocrystal of Apixaban-Quercetin: Improving Solubility and Bioavailability of Drug Combination of Two Poorly Soluble Drugs

Drug combinations have been the hotspot of the pharmaceutical industry, but the promising applications are limited by the unmet solubility and low bioavailability. In this work, novel cocrystals, consisting of two antithrombotic drugs with poor solubility and low bioavailability in vivo, namely, apixaban (Apx) and quercetin (Que), were developed to discover a potential method to improve the poor solubility and internal absorption of the drug combination. Compared with Apx, the dissolution behavior of Apx–Que (1:1) and Apx–Que–2ACN (1:1:2) was enhanced significantly, while the physical mixture of the chemicals failed to exhibit the advantages. The dissolution improvements of Apx–Que–2ACN could be explained by the fact that the solid dispersion-like structure and column-shaped cage of Que accelerated the access of the solvent to the inner layer of Apx. The fracture of the hydrogen bonds of Apx, which was the joint of the adjacent Que chains, facilitated the break-up of the structures. Besides, the bioavailability of Apx–Que was increased compared with the physical mixture and Apx, and Apx–Que remained stable in high temperature and illumination conditions. Therefore, a drug–drug cocrystal of two antithrombotic agents with poor solubility was developed, which exhibited greatly improved solubility, bioavailability and superior stability, indicating a novel method to overcome the shortages of drug combination.

Synthesis of Highly Conductive Electrospun Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate Nanofibers Using the Electroless Deposition Method

Plastic bottles are generally recycled by remolding them into numerous products. In this study, waste from plastic bottles was used to fabricate recycled polyethylene terephthalate (r-PET) nanofibers via the electrospinning technique, and high-performance conductive polyethylene terephthalate nanofibers (r-PET nanofibers) were prepared followed by copper deposition using the electroless deposition (ELD) method. Firstly, the electrospun r-PET nanofibers were chemically modified with silane molecules and polymerized with 2-(methacryloyloxy) ethyl trimethylammonium chloride (METAC) solution. Finally, the copper deposition was achieved on the surface of chemically modified r-PET nanofibers by simple chemical/ion attraction. The water contact angle of r-PET nanofibers, chemically modified r-PET nanofibers, and copper deposited nanofibers were 140°, 80°, and 138°, respectively. The r-PET nanofibers retained their fibrous morphology after copper deposition, and EDX results confirmed the presence of copper on the surface of r-PET nanofibers. XPS was performed to analyze chemical changes before and after copper deposition on r-PET nanofibers. The successful deposition of copper one r-PET nanofibers showed an excellent electrical resistance of 0.1 ohms/cm and good mechanical strength according to ASTM D-638.

Design of Ti3C2Tx/TiO2/PANI multi-layer composites for excellent electromagnetic wave absorption performance

Ti₃C₂T_x MXene is an excellent electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorber with excellent electrical conductivity and abundant surface functional groups. In this research, Ti₃C₂T_x/TiO₂/PANI multi-layer composites were successfully synthesized by HCl and LiF etching, one-step hydrothermal method and in-situ polymerization. Ti₃C₂T_x can provide more electron transfer paths due to its unique multilayer structure and high specific surface area. The growth of TiO₂ particles on the surface of Ti₃C₂T_x through hydrothermal reaction enhances the interface polarization, and then polyaniline (PANI) is doped on the surface of Ti₃C₂T_x where TiO₂ particles are grown by in-situ polymerization. Due to the excellent dielectric properties and synergistic effects of the material itself, Ti₃C₂T_x/TiO₂/PANI composites have excellent EMW absorption property. In this study, the Ti₃C₂T_x/TiO₂/PANI composites showed the strong reflection loss (RL) of at 13.92 GHz, which was -65.61 dB, and the thickness was only 2.18 mm. Moreover, the composites also exhibit a wide absorption band, with an effective absorption bandwidth (RL < -10 dB) of 5.92 GHz (11.84 GHz to 17.76 GHz) at 2.10 mm. The results show that the Ti₃C₂T_x/TiO₂/PANI composites are expected to become EMW absorber with thin thickness and high absorption strength.

Processing Analysis of Nanoparticle Filled PTFE: Restrictions and Limitations of High Temperature Production

In this research work, unfilled and monofilled polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) were investigated. The applied fillers were graphene, alumina (Al₂O₃), boehmite alumina (BA80) and hydrotalcite (MG70). Graphene and Al₂O₃ are already known in the literature as potential fillers of PTFE, while BA80 and MG70 are novel fillers in PTFE. Materials were produced by room temperature pressing—free sintering method with a maximum sintering temperature of 370 °C. The mass loss and decomposition analyses were carried out by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) in two different ways. The first was a sensitivity analysis to gain a better view into the sintering process at 370 °C maximal temperature. The second was a heating from 50 °C up to 1000 °C for a full-scale decomposition analysis. BA80 is a suitable filler for PTFE, as most of its functional groups still existed after the sintering process. Both PTFE and Al₂O₃ had high thermal stability. However, when Al₂O₃ was incorporated in PTFE, a remarkable mass loss was observed during the sintering process, which indicated that the decomposition of PTFE was catalysed by the Al₂O₃ filler. The observed mass loss of the Al₂O₃-filled PTFE was increased, as the Al₂O₃ content or the applied dwelling time at a 370 °C sintering temperature increased.

In-situ growth of core-shell ZnFe2O4 @ porous hollow carbon microspheres as an efficient microwave absorber

The special structure and composition are the important factors that determine the microwave absorption properties. In this study, the porous hollow carbon microsphere (PHCMS) is synthesized by the self-assembly technology, and ZnFe₂O₄ particles are synthesized inside the carbon sphere by in-situ preparation with taking advantage of the porous and hollow characteristics of the carbon sphere, which prepares ZnFe₂O₄@PHCMS composite material. The composite shows good performance in terms of minimum reflection loss and absorption bandwidth. The results show that the maximum adsorption capacity of the composite is -51.43 dB at 7.2 GHz. When the thickness is 4.8 mm, the effective absorption bandwidth of RL ≤ 10 dB electromagnetic wave is 3.52 GHz. Such enhanced electromagnetic wave absorption properties of ZnFe₂O₄@PHCMS are ascribed to the suitable impedance characteristic, the dipole polarization and interfacial polarization, the multiple Debye relaxation process and strong natural resonance, multiple reflection and scattering. This work provides an approach to design effective microwave absorbers having a unique structure to enhance the microwave absorption properties.

Novel poly(imide-ether)s based on xanthene and a corresponding composite reinforced with a GO grafted hyperbranched polymer: fabrication, characterization, and thermal, photophysical, antibacterial and chromium adsorption properties

High-performance polyimides (PIs) with ether linkages and trifluoromethyl (–CF₃) groups based on xanthene were designed and synthesized via a polycondensation reaction of novel diamine monomers with available aromatic dianhydrides.