The Polymer Society of Korea

Abstract

Suppressing lithium dendrite growth is one of the most critical challenges for the practical application of lithium-metal batteries. When a separator possesses an ultrahigh nanoporous structure, ionic conductivity is significantly enhanced and Li⁺ ion distribution becomes more uniform, mitigating interfacial instability from Li⁺ depletion and localization at the lithium-metal surface. In this presentation, self-assembly–enabled fabrication strategies for ultrahigh porous nanofiber separators will be introduced. Aramid nanofibers (ANF) are the key building block, where reprotonation-assisted nanofibrillization forms a 3-dimensional nanofibrillar network structure. Various types of nanofibrillar separators, from ANF to ANF–polymer composite separators, will be presented. How nanoscale pore architectures and polar functional groups interact with lithium salts and electrolytes will be discussed, influencing interphase chemistry, dendrite growth, and battery cycle performance.