Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xiangyu Lin, Yong Wen, Jie Wang, Hongyi Shang, He Liu, Xu Xu
Summary: This study presents an efficient and facile strategy to design a three-dimensional (3D)-crosslinked binder for high-performance Si-based anodes by synergizing short chains and long chains. The short chain tannic acid (TA) with branch-like structure rich in hydroxyl groups forms multidimensional hydrogen-bonding interactions with Si surfaces, while long chains of polysaccharides facilitate large-scale bridging of components in the electrode. The in-situ cross-linking of TA and polysaccharides establishes a 3D network to release inner stress of Si particles, resulting in stable slurry, high adhesive strength, and favorable rate performance.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yihong Tong, Siyu Jin, Hongyuan Xu, Jiawei Li, Zhao Kong, Hong Jin, Hui Xu
Summary: In this study, a binder, GCA13, with energy dissipation function and surface stability effect was proposed to enhance the cycle life and specific capacity of silicon anodes. The introduction of citric acid molecules with short-range functions on the long-chain guar gum effectively buffered the silicon particle pulverization caused by volume change. The Si@GCA13 anode showed high reversible capacity and remarkable cycling stability even under harsh service conditions.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yong Wang, Hui Xu, Xi Chen, Hong Jin, Jiping Wang
Summary: The elastic self-healing CA-PAA binder designed for silicon anodes can accommodate large volume changes and maintain high performance during cycling.
ENERGY STORAGE MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Hongxun Wang, Di Wei, Bao Zhang, Zekai Ji, Liguang Wang, Min Ling, Chengdu Liang
Summary: In this study, a hydroxyl-rich three-dimensional network binder was synthesized to enhance the toughness and cohesive properties of the silicon anode, resulting in improved electrochemical performance, especially cycling stability. The results pave a new way for tailoring the chemical structures of natural polymers to achieve lithium-ion batteries with superior electrochemical performance.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Li Zhang, Xingxing Jiao, Zhenhe Feng, Bing Li, Yangyang Feng, Jiangxuan Song
Summary: A water-soluble polymer binder with a three dimensional network was utilized to stabilize silicon anodes, leading to promising electrochemical performance for SiNP and SiC electrodes. This innovative gel polymer binder could potentially extend the cycling life of high capacity battery electrodes.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Qiang Zhang, Fengying Zhang, Meng Zhang, Yuxiu Yu, Shuxia Yuan, Yaodong Liu
Summary: Silicon (Si) shows promise as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries due to its high specific capacity, but often faces challenges such as volume expansion and instability at the solid electrolyte interface. The synthesis of silicone-modified partially imidized polyamide acid (S-PA) as a binder for silicon-based electrodes demonstrates excellent performance and stability, making it a promising alternative to commonly used binders like PAA and PVDF.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Shiyun Zhang, Kai Liu, Jian Xie, Xiongwen Xu, Jian Tu, Weixiang Chen, Fang Chen, Tiejun Zhu, Xinbing Zhao
Summary: Due to the urgent demand for high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), silicon (Si) with an ultrahigh capacity has gained wide attention. However, the practical application of Si is hindered by the large volume changes during cycling. In this study, a three-dimensional network binder composed of polyacrylic acid (PAA) and lysine (Lys) was constructed. The PAA/Lys binder exhibited strong adhesion to Si particles through hydrogen bonds and the cross-linked structure prevented irreversible slipping of PAA chains. The Si electrode using the PAA/Lys binder showed good cycling stability and high capacity retention, demonstrating the potential of using sustainable Si sources and environmentally friendly binders.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Electrochemistry
Hongxun Wang, Di Wei, Zhengwei Wan, Qiaokun Du, Bao Zhang, Min Ling, Chengdu Liang
Summary: The crosslinked copolymer KPG, synthesized by radical polymerization reaction, serves as an aqueous binder for silicon anode materials, improving the mechanical and binding strength through the introduction of PAM and GMA. This design results in excellent electrochemical performance and extended cycle life, providing a pathway for high-performance silicon-based anodes.
ELECTROCHIMICA ACTA
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Wei Tan, Bo Liang, Menghao Chen, Zihan Song, Maoyu Yi, Jianghuai Hu, Ke Zeng, Gang Yang
Summary: Researchers have developed a bio-based adenine-containing polyimide binder for silicon anodes in lithium-ion batteries. This binder can restrain the volume expansion of silicon and maintain the integrity of the electrode structure, leading to improved cycling stability.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
So Yeun Kim, Chang Hyo Kim, Cheol-Min Yang
Summary: Si-based composites wrapped in multiple graphene shells were successfully fabricated as binder-free anodes for Li-ion batteries, exhibiting high initial discharge capacity, excellent cyclic stability, and superior rate capability. The multilayered structure contributed to the enhanced performance of the LIBs and could potentially advance the development of high-performance LIBs for electric vehicles.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2021)
Article
Electrochemistry
Satish Bolloju, Yu-Lung Chang, Santosh U. Sharma, Ming-Feng Hsu, Jyh-Tsung Lee
Summary: This study investigates the use of vulcanized polyisoprene-graft-maleic anhydride (VPI-g-MA) as an in situ cross-linked binder for silicon (Si) anodes. The VPI-g-MA binder was found to significantly enhance the cycle-life performance of the Si anodes, exhibiting high initial charge capacity and improved adhesion strength compared to other binders. Scanning electron microscopy images confirmed the ability of the VPI-g-MA binder to maintain the integrity of the Si electrode throughout the cycling process.
ELECTROCHIMICA ACTA
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xiangxiang Wang, Kun Wang, Zefan Zheng, Zhengwei Wan, Jing Zhao, Han Li, Wei Jiang, Zhuoying Wu, Bao Chen, Yuanzhong Tan, Min Ling, Minghao Sun, Chengdu Liang
Summary: This study developed a novel inorganic binder, lithium metasilicate (LS), to address the issues of volume variation and limited Li+ diffusion ability in silicon anodes. The LS binder showed favorable compatibility with silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) and improved the cycling stability and discharge capacity of the silicon anode through strong adhesion effect. The presence of Li+ transport channel within the LS binder further enhanced the Li+ diffusion ability in the silicon anode, resulting in higher discharge capacity.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Electrochemistry
Fangfang Wang, Xing Zhang, Ruoyu Hong, Xuesong Lu, Yuan Zhu, Ying Zheng
Summary: Crystalline silicon nanoparticles coated with an amorphous silicon layer were prepared by continuously pyrolysing a mixture of silane and hydrogen in a non-thermal arc plasma reactor. The role of hydrogen in controlling the thickness of the amorphous silicon layer and improving the electrochemical performance of the silicon anode was investigated through experiments. Introducing a three-component polymer binder effectively tolerated the volume expansion of silicon, resulting in an excellent electrochemical performance of the silicon anode.
ELECTROCHIMICA ACTA
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Yu Zhang, Xiaoyu Wang, Lei Ma, Ruixian Tang, Xiao Zheng, Fangfang Zhao, Gen Tang, Yue Wang, Aimin Pang, Wei Li, Liangming Wei
Summary: The PDA-PAA composite binder with a three-dimensional network structure provides strong adhesion between active materials and the current collector, resulting in improved capacity and cycle performance of Si anodes in lithium batteries.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Linlin Hu, Xudong Zhang, Bing Li, Mihan Jin, Xiaohui Shen, Zongwu Luo, Zhanyuan Tian, Lizhi Yuan, Junkai Deng, Zhengfei Dai, Jiangxuan Song
Summary: By synergizing static and dynamic binders, an efficient energy-dissipation engineering was applied to high-capacity silicon anodes, effectively improving their cycling stability and capacity retention. This strategy successfully avoids degradation of both materials and electrodes, laying the foundation for performance enhancement of silicon-based anodes.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Swarnima Athavale, Stefano Micci-Barreca, Kailash Arole, Vrushali Kotasthane, Jackson Blivin, Huaixuan Cao, Jodie L. Lutkenhaus, Miladin Radovic, Micah J. Green
Summary: This passage introduces the personal backgrounds and research areas of several graduate students, focusing on the study of MXenes materials.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Vrushali Kotasthane, Zeyi Tan, Junyeong Yun, Emily B. Pentzer, Jodie L. Lutkenhaus, Micah J. Green, Miladin Radovic
Summary: MXene synthesis often involves the use of toxic chemicals, limiting its scalability. To overcome this challenge, a safer method is proposed using a mixture of tetramethylammonium fluoride tetrahydrate and hydrochloric acid at room temperature for simultaneous etching and exfoliation. This method results in high MXene yields and MXenes with stable pseudocapacitive behavior and slower degradation rate.
ACS APPLIED NANO MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Adam L. Harmat, Maria Morga, Jodie L. Lutkenhaus, Piotr Batys, Maria Sammalkorpi
Summary: Streaming potential and quartz crystal microbalance measurements were used to investigate the pH dependency of the adsorption of poly-L-lysine (PLL) and poly-L-arginine (PARG) on alpha-quartz surface, which was further supported by all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. The adsorption behavior was determined by the change in the number of peptide-surface ion pairs and the repulsive electrostatic interactions between the polypeptides. Low pH favored strong adsorption and stable monolayers, while high pH resulted in weakly bound but denser peptide films with limited stability. Electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonding, and non-specific interactions played important roles in the adsorption process.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Ryan M. DuChanois, Lauren Mazurowski, Hanqing Fan, Rafael Verduzco, Oded Nir, Menachem Elimelech
Summary: The separation of specific ions in water is essential for the recovery and reuse of metals and nutrients, but current membrane technologies lack the required precision selectivity for a circular resource economy. This study investigates whether the cation/cation selectivity of a composite cation-exchange membrane (CEM) is affected by the mass transfer resistance of the underlying CEM. The results show that eliminating resistance from the base layer of the CEM can significantly increase selectivity, highlighting the importance of low-resistance CEMs for precise separations with composite membranes.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Travis S. S. Laws, Hao Mei, Tanguy Terlier, Rafael Verduzco, Gila E. E. Stein
Summary: Reactive bottlebrush polymers based on S and tBA were developed as additives for PS coatings. The hydrophilicity and substrate adherence of PS films can be controlled by the thermal activation of tBA deprotection. By incorporating a mixture of PtBA and PS side chains into the bottlebrush, the water contact angle decreases and the substrate adherence improves proportionally.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ting Ma, Cheng-Han Li, Ratul Mitra Thakur, Daniel P. Tabor, Jodie L. Lutkenhaus
Summary: Metal-free aqueous batteries are potential solutions to the shortages of strategic metals and safety issues in lithium-ion batteries. Redox-active non-conjugated radical polymers show promising properties for metal-free aqueous batteries, but their energy storage mechanism in an aqueous environment remains unclear.
Article
Polymer Science
Yilin Li, Sohee Park, Kasturi Sarang, Hao Mei, Chia-Ping Tseng, Zhiqi Hu, Dongyang Zhu, Xiaoyi Li, Jodie Lutkenhaus, Rafael Verduzco
Summary: Conjugated polymers as battery electrodes have unique and useful properties, and recent research has shown that they can exhibit excellent rate performance due to electron transport. However, increasing the ionic conductivity of conjugated polymer electrodes is currently a challenge. In this study, we investigated a series of conjugated polynapthalene dicarboximide (PNDI) polymers containing oligo(ethylene glycol) (EG) side chains to enhance ion transport. We found that incorporating EG side chains improved both ionic and electronic conductivities, resulting in exceptional rate performance and cycling stability.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jeremy P. Daum, Alec Ajnsztajn, Sathvik Ajay Iyengar, Jacob Lowenstein, Soumyabrata Roy, Guan-hui Gao, Esther H. R. Tsai, Pulickel M. Ajayan, Rafael Verduzco
Summary: Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are a promising class of crystalline polymer networks with high porosity and versatile functionality. A chemical vapor deposition (CVD) approach is developed to produce highly crystalline COF films and coatings in a fast and facile manner. The synthesized COF films are characterized by various techniques and show potential applications in size exclusion membranes, catalytic platforms, and organic transistors.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Weilin Zhang, Yucun Zhou, Xueyu Hu, Yong Ding, Jun Gao, Zheyu Luo, Tongtong Li, Nicholas Kane, Xiao-Ying Yu, Tanguy Terlier, Meilin Liu
Summary: Reversible proton-conducting solid oxide cells (R-PSOCs) have the potential to be the most efficient and cost-effective electrochemical device for energy storage and conversion. In this study, researchers developed a class of triple-conducting air electrode materials by doping transition- and rare-earth metal ions into a proton-conducting electrolyte material. These materials showed outstanding activity and durability for R-PSOC applications.
ACS ENERGY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Swarnima Athavale, Stefano A. A. Micci-Barreca, Kailash Arole, Vrushali Kotasthane, Jodie L. L. Lutkenhaus, Miladin Radovic, Micah J. J. Green
Summary: MXenes, as 2D nanomaterials, have attracted significant attention since their discovery in 2011, but their degradation tendency affects their shelf life. While external factors affecting the degradation of MXenes have been extensively studied, the impact of internal factors such as terminal groups remains unclear. In this paper, we compare the degradation stability of MXenes using -Br and -Cl terminations as model terminal groups. Our experiments show that -Br terminated ML-Ti3C2Tz degrades faster than -Cl terminated ML-Ti3C2Tz. We confirm that terminal groups do affect the degradation rate of Ti3C2Tz. The differences in bond dissociation energy of the M-X bond are responsible for the variations in the degradation stability of MXenes. This model study can be generalized to compare the effect of terminal groups on the degradation stability of MXenes.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Tuuva Kastinen, Dawid Lupa, Piotr Bonarek, Dmitrii Fedorov, Maria Morga, Markus B. Linder, Jodie L. Lutkenhaus, Piotr Batys, Maria Sammalkorpi
Summary: We demonstrate that pH significantly affects the assembly mechanism and properties of PLL and PGA complexes through a combination of experimental characterization and molecular simulations. Various techniques, including DLS, LDV, ITC, CD, and AUC, are employed to assess the complexation, charge state, thermodynamics, secondary structure, and molecular weights of the peptides. Molecular dynamics simulations provide insights into the binding changes and hydrogen bonding involved in the complex formation. Our findings reveal the pH dependency of PLL/PGA complexation and highlight the potential of pH control in designing peptide materials.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Alexandra D. Easley, Khirabdhi Mohanty, Jodie L. Lutkenhaus
Summary: This study investigates the energy storage mechanism of a cross-linked viologen using electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (EQCM-D) and compares the effects of NaCl and Na2SO4 electrolytes. The results reveal that electrolyte design and ion valency significantly impact the mass transport properties of polymer-based electrodes. This work provides insights for improving the performance of next-generation polymer batteries through electrolyte selection.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Suyash S. Oka, Ratul Mitra Thakur, Alexandra D. Easley, Micah J. Green, Jodie L. Lutkenhaus
Summary: Structural batteries have gained attention due to their multifunctionality and potential for mass and volume savings. This study focuses on using a redox-active polymer as the active material for the cathode, resulting in high rate capabilities and excellent mechanical properties.
MATERIALS ADVANCES
(2023)