Supramolecular self-healing binders for lithium-ion battery with high performance

Abstract

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) play a pivotal role as energy storage devices used in fields, including portable electronics, electric vehicles, medical devices, and energy storage systems. However, the low capacity of current LIBs presents a significant challenge fin developing next-generation LIBs1. High-capacity silicon (Si) has been proposed as a promising alternative material for LIBs to overcome this limitation. Nevertheless, the substantial volumetric expansion of Si during the charge-discharge process is a critical drawback,2 leading to the structural degradation of the Si electrode and resulting in a decreased battery cycling performance. To address the structural degradation of the Si electrode, the use of polymeric binders has been proposed. However, conventional binders such as polyvinylidene fluoride, styrene-butadiene rubber, and polyacrylic acid have shown poor cycling performance due to weak interaction with Si.3,4 This leads to structural instability during the repetitive charge-discharge cycles, negatively affecting the battery efficiency and lifecycle.5 Therefore, developing innovative polymeric binders with superior properties is crucial to mitigate the volume expansion of Si electrodes and advance the durability and stability of next-generation energy storage devices. Advanced binders can mitigate the structural degradation of Si electrodes, thereby enhancing the durability and stability of LIBs, which is crucial for next-generation energy storage devices. In this research, we present a novel approach to the development of polymeric binders with self- healing properties based on the host-guest interactions in supramolecular chemistry and provide enhancement of performance. The suggested self-healing binders effectively prevent the degradation of Si electrodes caused by swelling behavior, thereby improving the durability and stability of LIBs. This capability is introduced through the cutting-edge TEM nanotechnology.