title: Facilitated ion diffusion in multiscale porous particles: application in battery separators.
abstract: Polyethylene (PE) separators have been the most popular option for commercial Li-ion batteries because of their uniform pore size, high tensile strength, low cost, and electrochemical stability. Unfortunately, PE separators generally suffer from significant dimensional changes at high temperatures, which frequently results in serious safety problems. In this regard, the integration of inorganic nanoparticles with PE separators has been considered to be a promising approach. Here, inorganic nanoparticles with a hierarchical pore structure were coated on a conventional polymer separator. The resultant composite separator exhibited superior Li ion transportation compared with separators coated with mesopore-only nanoparticles or conventional nonporous nanoparticles. The mesopores and macropores act synergistically to improve the electrolyte uptake and ionic conductivity of the inorganic nanoparticles, while other positive aspects such as their thermal and mechanical properties are still maintained.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical Engineering and ‡SKKU Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University , Suwon 440-746, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Young Bum
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Thanh
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tran-Phu
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Dae-Woong
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Gi-Ra
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Jong Hyeok
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
keywords: Li-ion battery; inorganic; membrane; safety; separator