Polymers for Lithium/Sodium Batteries
A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Smart and Functional Polymers".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2024) | Viewed by 214
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Polymers play essential roles in lithium/sodium batteries as polymer electrolytes and electrode materials.
Polymer electrolytes have emerged as promising alternatives to liquid electrolytes in batteries, offering improved safety, stability, and simplified battery design. Common polymer electrolyte materials include polyethylene oxide (PEO), polyacrylonitrile (PAN), and poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF). Biopolymers and polymeric ionic liquids (PILs) are another promising class of polymer electrolytes. Ion transport in polymer electrolytes occurs through a combination of polymer chain motion and ion hopping facilitated by lithium or sodium salt.
Conductive polymers, such as polyaniline (PANI) or PEDOT, are explored as electrode materials due to their unique electronic and redox properties, which can store and release ions during battery cycling. Polymer-derived carbon, especially plant-derived carbon is also expected to be promising conductive electrode materials for its high theoretical capacities. Binders are crucial in electrode fabrication for good adhesion to conductive polymers and the current collector. Some commonly used binder polymers include PVDF and Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). Lignin-based materials are also promising candidates.
Despite their advantages, challenges remain, including achieving high conductivity, maintaining stability during cycling, and ensuring good interfacial compatibility. Ongoing research focuses on optimizing polymer structures, exploring new materials, and developing advanced composite electrolytes/electrodes.
Dr. Hao Zhang
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- polymer
- electrolyte
- electrode
- lithium batteries
- sodium batteries
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