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Size-Selective Nanoporous Atomically Thin Graphene Separators for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.
Daniel A Gribble1, Peifu Cheng2, Vilas G Pol1
1Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|September 4, 2025
Summary
Graphene nanoporous membranes effectively block lithium polysulfide shuttling in lithium-sulfur batteries. This separator modification enhances battery cyclability without sacrificing energy density.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) offer high energy density but suffer from poor cyclability due to lithium polysulfide (LiPS) shuttling.
- Current mitigation strategies like slurry-coated separators add mass and volume, reducing overall energy density.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a separator modification for LSBs that prevents LiPS shuttling without compromising energy density.
- To investigate the use of nanoporous atomically thin membranes (NATMs) as a size-selective interlayer.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication and characterization of graphene NATMs with tailored pore sizes (0.7-1.0 nm).
- Integration of NATMs with conventional polypropylene (PP) separators (NATM@PP).
- Electrochemical testing of LSBs with NATM@PP separators, including cycling performance analysis.
- Post-mortem analysis using SEM and EDX to confirm sulfur confinement on the Li anode.
Main Results:
- Graphene NATMs demonstrated effective size-selective sieving, allowing Li+ ion passage while blocking larger LiPS.
- LSBs utilizing NATM@PP separators exhibited negligible capacity fade over 150 cycles.
- SEM and EDX analysis confirmed reduced LiPS accumulation on the lithium anode.
Conclusions:
- Nanoporous atomically thin membranes are a viable strategy for mitigating LiPS shuttling in LSBs.
- NATMs offer a mass- and volume-efficient approach to enhance LSB cyclability.
- Size-selective molecular sieving using graphene NATMs shows significant promise for advanced battery technologies.
