Efficient thermal management of lithium-sulfur batteries by highly thermally conductive LBL-assembled composite separators

Thermal Conductive Polymer Composites: Recent Progress and Applications

As microelectronics technology advances towards miniaturization and higher integration, the imperative for developing high-performance thermal management materials has escalated. Thermal conductive polymer composites (TCPCs), which leverage the benefits of polymer matrices and the unique effects of nano-enhancers, are gaining focus as solutions to overheating due to their low density, ease of processing, and cost-effectiveness. However, these materials often face challenges such as thermal conductivities that are lower than expected, limiting their application in high-performance electronic devices. Despite these issues, TCPCs continue to demonstrate broad potential across various industrial sectors. This review comprehensively presents the progress in this field, detailing the mechanisms of thermal conductivity (TC) in these composites and discussing factors that influence thermal performance, such as the intrinsic properties of polymers, interfacial thermal resistance, and the thermal properties of fillers. Additionally, it categorizes and summarizes methods to enhance the TC of polymer composites. The review also highlights the applications of these materials in emerging areas such as flexible electronic devices, personal thermal management, and aerospace. Ultimately, by analyzing current challenges and opportunities, this review provides clear directions for future research and development.

Perspectives on Advanced Lithium-Sulfur Batteries for Electric Vehicles and Grid-Scale Energy Storage

Intensive increases in electrical energy storage are being driven by electric vehicles (EVs), smart grids, intermittent renewable energy, and decarbonization of the energy economy. Advanced lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) are among the most promising candidates, especially for EVs and grid-scale energy storage applications. In this topical review, the recent progress and perspectives of practical LSBs are reviewed and discussed; the challenges and solutions for these LSBs are analyzed and proposed for future practical and large-scale energy storage applications. Major challenges for the shuttle effect, reaction kinetics, and anodes are specifically addressed, and solutions are provided on the basis of recent progress in electrodes, electrolytes, binders, interlayers, conductivity, electrocatalysis, artificial SEI layers, etc. The characterization strategies (including in situ ones) and practical parameters (e.g., cost-effectiveness, battery management/modeling, environmental adaptability) are assessed for crucial automotive/stationary large-scale energy storage applications (i.e., EVs and grid energy storage). This topical review will give insights into the future development of promising Li-S batteries toward practical applications, including EVs and grid storage.

Effect of Heterostructure-Modified Separator in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries with high energy density and low cost are the most promising competitor in the next generation of new energy reserve devices. However, there are still many problems that hinder its commercialization, mainly including shuttle of soluble polysulfides, slow reaction kinetics, and growth of Li dendrites. In order to solve above issues, various explorations have been carried out for various configurations, such as electrodes, separators, and electrolytes. Among them, the separator in contact with both anode and cathode is in a particularly special position. Reasonable design-modified material of separator can solve above key problems. Heterostructure engineering as a promising modification method can combine characteristics of different materials to generate synergistic effect at heterogeneous interface that is conducive to Li-S electrochemical behavior. This review not only elaborates the role of heterostructure-modified separators in dealing with above problems, but also analyzes the improvement of wettability and thermal stability of separators by modification of heterostructure materials, systematically clarifies its advantages, and summarizes some related progress in recent years. Finally, future development direction of heterostructure-based separator in Li-S batteries is given.

Polyaniline-Coated Porous Vanadium Nitride Microrods for Enhanced Performance of a Lithium-Sulfur Battery

To solve the slow kinetics of polysulfide conversion reaction in Li-S battery, many transition metal nitrides were developed for sulfur hosts. Herein, novel polyaniline-coated porous vanadium nitride (VN) microrods were synthesized via a calcination, washing and polyaniline-coating process, which served as sulfur host for Li-S battery exhibited high electrochemical performance. The porous VN microrods with high specific surface area provided enough interspace to overcome the volume change of the cathode. The outer layer of polyaniline as a conductive shell enhanced the cathode conductivity, effectively blocked the shuttle effect of polysulfides, thus improving the cycling capacity of Li-S battery. The cathode exhibited an initial capacity of 1007 mAh g^-1 at 0.5 A g^-1, and the reversible capacity remained at 735 mAh g^-1 over 150 cycles.