Interfacial engineering of polyolefin separators via caffeic acid-titanium coating for high-efficiency lithium dendrite suppression.
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| Title: | Interfacial engineering of polyolefin separators via caffeic acid-titanium coating for high-efficiency lithium dendrite suppression. |
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| Authors: | Chen, Zi-Yin1,2 (AUTHOR), Luo, Zhen1,2 (AUTHOR) zhenluo@fjirsm.ac.cn, Gong, Cui-Ran2 (AUTHOR), Zheng, Yang-Qing2 (AUTHOR), Xu, Ying2,3 (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Chemical Engineering Journal. Mar2026, Vol. 532, pN.PAG-N.PAG. 1p. |
| Subjects: | Surface coatings, Nanopores, Polymeric membranes, Lithium cells, Surfaces (Technology), Ionic conductivity |
| Abstract: | The limited lithium-ion transference number (t Li+) and uneven electric-field distribution exacerbate concentration polarization during the operation of Lithium-metal batteries (LMBs). This elevates cell overpotential and induces irregular lithium deposition, ultimately triggering hazardous dendrite formation. To mitigate this risk, an interface-engineered separator is fabricated via dip-coating a caffeic acid-titanium (CA-Ti) organic-inorganic hybrid onto commercial polyolefin membranes. The coating is of thickness of only about 500 nm, containing nanopores and radicals, and adheres well to the substrate separator. The nanopores are approximately 3 nm in size, and their walls are composed of caffeic acid groups and tiny nanoparticles of titanium oxide species. The radicals and polar groups within CA-Ti induce electron redistribution, which may facilitate faster and more uniform lithium-ion transport through the separator. Consequently, the modified separator achieves enhanced ionic conductivity (from 1.46 to 1.67 mS cm−1) and t Li+ (from 0.43 to 0.65). Cell tests demonstrate that the modified separator significantly improves dendrite suppression and cycling stability in both carbonate-based and ether-based electrolytes. Compared to commercial polypropylene separators, LiFePO 4 ||Li cells with modified separators retain 70.3% versus 44.9% (ester-based) and 89.6% versus 52.1% (ether-based) capacity after 400 cycles at 1.7 mA cm−2. Moreover, similar efficacy is observed with caffeic acid‑zirconium hybrid (CA-Zr) coatings. This work proposes a unique and practical strategy for regulating the interface of traditional separators by use of CA-Ti or CA-Zr coatings, thereby enabling high-efficiency dendrite suppression in LMBs. • A functional separator (CA-Ti@PP) with an ultrathin (∼500 nm) coating layer. • The CA-Ti coating contains nanopores and radicals. • CA-Ti@PP enables efficient Li-ion transport and homogenized current density. • CA-Ti@PP suppresses Li dendrites and improves cycle stability in Li-metal batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Engineering Source |
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