1. Stable anode/separator interface enabled by graft modification of polypropylene separator via electron beam irradiation technique toward high-performance sodium metal batteries.
- Author
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Zhao, Yibo, Zhan, Jiajia, Liu, Xing, Wang, Hongyong, Li, Zhen, Xu, Gang, Zhou, Wenfeng, Wu, Chao, and Wang, Guanyao
- Subjects
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ELECTRON beams , *ANODES , *POLYPROPYLENE , *SODIUM , *METALS , *POLYACRYLIC acid - Abstract
[Display omitted] • Electron beam irradiation technology was first used to graft modify propylene separators in sodium metal batteries. • Grafted polyacrylic acid enhances electrolyte affinity and efficiently regulates Na+ ion flux. • The improved anode/separator interface enhances the cyclability and reversibility of sodium metal anodes. Sodium metal batteries (SMBs) are considered as strong alternatives to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), due to the inherent merits of sodium metal anodes (SMAs) including low redox potential (−2.71 V vs. SHE), high theoretical capacity (1166 mAh g−1), and abundant resources. However, the uncontrollable Na dendrite growth has significantly impeded the practical deployment of SMBs. Separator modification has emerged as an effective strategy for substantially enhancing the performance of SMAs. Herein, for the first time, we present the successful grafting polyacrylic acid (PAA) onto polypropylene (PP) separators (denoted as PP-g-PAA) using highly efficient electron beam (EB) irradiation to improve the cyclability of SMAs. The polar carboxyl groups of PAA can facilitate the electrolyte wetting and provide ample mechanical strength to resist dendrite penetration. Consequently, the regulation of Na+ ion flux enables uniform Na+ deposition with dendrite-free morphology, facilitated by the favorable anode/separator interface. The PP-g-PAA separator significantly enhances the cyclability of fabricated cells. Notably, the lifespan of Na||Na symmetric cells can be extended up to 5519 h at 1 mA cm−2 and 1 mAh cm−2. The stable design of the anode/separator interface achieved through polyolefin separator modification presented in this study holds promise for the further advancement of next-generation advanced battery systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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