Advances in Nanofibrous Materials for Stable Lithium-Metal Anodes

Abstract

Lithium metal is regarded as the most potential anode material for improving the energy density of batteries due to its high specific capacity and low electrode potential. However, the practical application of lithium-metal anodes (LMAs) still faces severe challenges such as uncontrollable dendrites growth and large volume expansion. The development of functional nanomaterials has brought opportunities for the revival of LMAs. Among them, nanofibrous materials show great application potential for LMAs protection due to their distinct functional and structural features. Here, the latest research progress in nanofibrous materials for LMAs is systematically outlined. First, the problems existing in the practical application of LMAs are analyzed. Then, prospective strategies and recent research progress toward stable LMAs based on nanofibrous materials are summarized from the aspects of artificial protective layers, three-dimensional frameworks, separators, and solid-state electrolytes. Finally, the future development of nanofibrous materials for the protection of lithium-metal batteries is summarized and prospected. This review establishes a close connection between nanofibrous materials and LMA modification and provides insight for the development of high-safety lithium-metal batteries.

AI for Nanomaterials Development in Clean Energy and Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS)

“…Presently, while LIBs have been identified as the state-of-the-art energy storage technology, their energy density is still deemed inadequate, and other major challenges such as cost further render LIBs as the silver bullet solutions to energy storage unwarranted. , Specifically, the undesirable growth of lithium dendrite and the instability of solid–electrolyte interfaces are among the key obstacles to the practical applications of LIBs. Attributing to their advantages characteristics such as high specific surface area, large aspect ratio, and strong structural controllability, nanofiber materials have been found to significantly improve the safety and performance of LIBs through structural modification, and adopting multicomponent composite designs . However, the current development in nanomaterials-based LIBs requires further exploration to achieve more precise control and enhanced structural composites for greater performance .…”

“…Attributing to their advantages characteristics such as high specific surface area, large aspect ratio, and strong structural controllability, nanofiber materials have been found to significantly improve the safety and performance of LIBs through structural modification, and adopting multicomponent composite designs. 79 However, the current development in nanomaterials-based LIBs requires further exploration to achieve more precise control and enhanced structural composites for greater performance. 169 An emphasis has also been placed on elucidating the deep mechanism of the impact of material properties on the performance of LIBs.…”

“…In this regard, the exploitation of nanostructured advanced energy materials underlies such advancement. Ascribing to their favorable properties such as high specific surface area, and outstanding electrochemical and rate capabilities, various classes of nanomaterials including pseudocapacitive and nanofibrous materials have received considerable interest among researchers in the design and fabrication of superior high-performance energy storage devices for large-scale deployment. , Additionally, the application of AI technology (e.g., in terms of materials property prediction, inverse design, and knowledge extraction) has demonstrated significant potential in expediting the development of these advanced energy materials that facilitate efficient energy conversion and consistent power supply, and ultimately in the attainment of large-scale applications in commercial green energy systems. , It is therefore anticipated that AI techniques will be indispensable to the design, development, and discovery of more advanced energy materials. This section thus introduces solar cells and hydrogen as two promising clean energy sources, and lithium-ion battery (LIB) as an effective energy storage device, with emphasis on the application of ML in alleviating the present challenges faced by these energy systems.…”

“…Additionally, attributing to the soaring energy demand engendered by the emergence of multitudinous technologies such as hybrid and electric vehicles, the development and design of high energy density and efficient energy storage materials have elicited substantial interest among researchers and practitioners. , To this end, among the various candidate rechargeable batteries such as lead-acid and nickel metal hydride, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have been widely recognized as the most auspicious technology for enabling next-generation energy storage systems. − LIBs offer promising energy storage solutions for mitigating the energy demand in modern society and have demonstrated tremendous potential in their applications across diverse industrial fields such as electrified transportation, portable electronics, military, and grid-scale energy storage . Fundamentally, LIBs are readily available in abundance, nontoxic, lightweight, and possess excellent energy density and long cycle life, which are the key features that lead to their current widespread adoption . Operationally, a LIB cell is generally manufactured with four main components (i.e., anode, cathode, electrolyte, and separator), where the to-and-fro movements of the Li ions through the electrolyte and between the cathode and anode permit charging, and discharging of LIBs, respectively (Figure a).…”

“…An emphasis has also been placed on elucidating the deep mechanism of the impact of material properties on the performance of LIBs. Moreover, the establishment of uniform test standards and evaluation criteria is crucial to the advancement of high-performing LIBs by enabling a more direct and universal comparison between different works. , The continuous search for efficient rechargeable battery materials is thus imperative. Riding the wave of notable advances in computational materials engineering, the employment of computational simulation methods such as first-principles calculations (e.g., DFT) and MD simulations has significantly accelerated the discovery and optimization of battery materials, which would otherwise take 10 to 20 years using the traditional experience-based trial-and-error experimental approach.…”