Cellulose nanofibrils take charge in solid-state batteries
Researchers have developed a new material for use in solid-state batteries that is derived cellulose nanofibrils found in trees.
In research published in Nature, the team from Brown University and the University of Maryland demonstrated a solid ion conductor that combines copper with cellulose nanofibrils, which are polymer tubes derived from wood.
The paper-thin material has an ion conductivity that is 10 to 100 times better than other polymer ion conductors, the researchers said. It could be used as a solid battery electrolyte or as an ion-conducting binder for the cathode of an all-solid-state battery.
“By incorporating copper with one-dimensional cellulose nanofibrils, we demonstrated that the normally ion-insulating cellulose offers a speedier lithium-ion transport within the polymer chains,” said Liangbing Hu, a professor in the University of Maryland’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering. “In fact, we found this ion conductor achieved a record high ionic conductivity among all solid polymer electrolytes.”
The work was a collaboration between Hu’s lab and the lab of Yue Qi, a professor at Brown’s School of Engineering.
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