A team of researchers from Swansea University, in collaboration with scientists from Wuhan University of Technology and Shenzhen University, has reportedly developed an innovative technology capable of producing graphene current collectors on a large scale. This technological breakthrough brings new hope for improving the safety and performance of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and solves a key challenge in energy storage technology.
The research results have been published in the journal Nature Chemical Engineering, detailing the first successful commercial manufacturing of defect-free graphene foils. These graphene foils have extremely high thermal conductivity of 1,400.8 W m–1 K–1 – ten times the thermal conductivity of conventional copper and aluminum collectors in lithium-ion batteries today.
Dr Rui Tan of Swansea University, one of the study's co-lead authors, noted: "This breakthrough marks a significant step forward in battery technology. Our approach not only produces high-quality graphene current collectors at scale, but also can be easily integrated into existing commercial battery manufacturing processes. This technology not only improves the safety of the battery but also increases the energy density and battery life through effective thermal management. ”
Thermal runaway is one of the most pressing issues in the development of high-energy lithium-ion batteries, especially for electric vehicles. This phenomenon can cause the battery to overheat, which can lead to malfunction or even fire or explosion. The newly developed graphene current collector is able to effectively dissipate heat and prevent exothermic reactions that lead to thermal runaway, thereby reducing this risk.
Figure: Researchers roll out scalable graphene technology
Dr. Yang Jinlong of Shenzhen University, another lead author of the study, explains: "Our dense and well-arranged graphene structure provides a strong barrier against the formation of combustible gases while preventing oxygen from penetrating into the battery cells, which is essential to avoid catastrophic failure. ”
This new technology is not only a success in laboratory research, but also a scalable solution capable of producing graphene foils ranging in length from a few meters to several kilometers. To demonstrate its potential applications, the research team successfully fabricated a graphene foil with a length of 200 meters and a thickness of only 17 microns. Even after more than 100,000 bends, this graphene foil retains its high electrical conductivity, making it ideal for flexible electronics and other advanced applications.
In addition, this method enables the production of graphene foils of different thicknesses as required, opening up more possibilities for making more efficient and safer batteries.
This innovation is expected to have a profound impact on the future of energy storage, especially in electric vehicles and renewable energy systems, where safety and efficiency are paramount. The international research team is led by Prof. Liqiang Mai and Prof. Daping He from Wuhan University of Technology, Dr. Jinlong Yang from Shenzhen University, and Dr. Rui Tan from Swansea University. They are continuing to refine the technology with a view to further reducing the thickness of the graphene foil, improving its mechanical properties, and exploring applications of the new material beyond lithium-ion batteries, such as redox flow batteries and sodium-ion batteries, with the assistance of Professor Serena Margodonna's team at Swansea University.
