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Communication | Open Access

A cellulose-based lithium-ion battery separator with regulated ionic transport and high thermal stability for extreme environments

Kun-Peng Yang1,§, Song Xie1,§, Zi-Meng Han1,§, Hao-Cheng Liu1, Chong-Han Yin1, Wen-Bin Sun1, Zhang-Chi Ling1, Huai-Bin Yang1, De-Han Li1, Qing-Fang Guan1 ( ), Shu-Hong Yu1,2 ( )
Department of Chemistry, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Institute of Biomimetic Materials & Chemistry, Anhui Engineering Laboratory of Biomimetic Materials, Division of Nanomaterials & Chemistry, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
Institute of Innovative Materials, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China

§ Kun-Peng Yang, Song Xie, and Zi-Meng Han contributed equally to this work.

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Graphical Abstract

A cellulose-based lithium-ion battery (LIBs) separator is fabricated through a cellulose nanofiber-assisted self-assembly strategy. Through binding anions of electrolyte on the surface of the nanochannels in the separator, Li-ions released can transport at high speed, resulting in ultrahigh Li-ion conductivity. Combined with high thermal stability, it is highly expected to enable LIBs to work safely and efficiently in extreme conditions.

Abstract

Separators play a critical role in lithium-ion batteries. However, the restrictions of thermal stability and inferior electrical performance in commercial polyolefin separators significantly limit their applications under harsh conditions. Here, we report a cellulose-assisted self-assembly strategy to construct a cellulose-based separator massively and continuously. With an ultrahigh ionic conductivity in electrolytes of 3.7 mS·cm−1 and the ability to regulate ion transport, the obtained separator is a promising alternative for high-performance lithium-ion batteries. In addition, integrated with high thermal stability, the cellulose-based separator endows batteries with high safety at high temperatures, greatly expanding the application scenarios of energy storage devices in extreme environments.

Keywords

lithium-ion batteriesbio-inspired materialsbattery separatorscellulose nanofiberultrahigh ionic conductivityhigh safety

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Nano Research
Volume 18 Issue 1,
January 2025
Article number: 94906994
DOI: 10.26599/NR.2025.94906994
Cite this article:
Yang K-P, Xie S, Han Z-M, et al. A cellulose-based lithium-ion battery separator with regulated ionic transport and high thermal stability for extreme environments. Nano Research, 2025, 18(1): 94906994. https://doi.org/10.26599/NR.2025.94906994
Topics:
Lithium batteries

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Received: 14 July 2024
Revised: 19 August 2024
Accepted: 19 August 2024
Published: 24 December 2024
© The Author(s) 2025. Published by Tsinghua University Press.

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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