Prof. Ali Coskun “Supramolecular Approaches for Advancing High-Capacity Electrodes in Lithium-Ion Batteries”

Three high-energy density electrode materials – namely, silicon (Si) anodes, lithium (Li) metal anodes, and sulfur cathodes operating by alloying, electroplating, and electrochemical reactions, respectively – have gained discernable interest owing to their unparalleled theoretical capacity. Nevertheless, these electrode materials entail new intrinsic drawbacks such as massive volume change for Si, uncontrollable lithium dendritic growth for Li metal, and the formation of soluble lithium polysulfides and their shuttling for sulfur cathodes. Accordingly, supramolecular chemistry and/or mechanically interlocked molecules/polymers such as rotaxanes and/or supramolecular polymer networks can play a pivotal role in addressing rechargeable batteries’ challenges.  This presentation will discuss the concepts of supramolecular chemistry and their working principles in high-energy density electrode materials in Li-ion batteries as well as the recycling of metals from the used electrodes.

References:

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