However, most researchers mainly concentrate on the electrochemical properties of the electrode but with limited knowledge of the design basis and working mechanism of functional polymers. Ĭlearly, functional polymers have been a key type of material for the optimization of high-capacity anodes. On the other hand, polymers with mechanical strength, ionic conductivity, and self-healing ability are also a kind of potential binder materials especially for Si anode, ensuring the integrity of the whole electrode during cycling. In addition, the electrochemically inert polymers could be used in the protective substrate for loading electrode materials, which provides some functions such as stretchability, flexibility, self-healing, shape memory, for instance, polymers with polar groups on the surface of copper (Cu) foil can induce the uniform distribution of ionic flux to prevent Li dendrite growth from the origin. Typically, some polymers with different functional groups or structures have been applied to improve the chemical/electrochemical stability of Li or Zn metal and suppress their dendrite growth through performing as a component of the artificial protective layer, a host of the polymer electrolytes, or additive into the organic electrolyte, ,, ,, ].
The designed polymers with enhanced electronic/ionic conductivity, mechanical properties, adhesion, self-healing, and electrochemical activities, have been widely used for the development of electrodes. Polymeric materials have inherent physicochemical properties and designability, which give rise to high potential to synthesize functional polymers by various methods such as grafting functional groups, co-polymerization, segmental chemistry modification, blending with functional polymers.
And the high-capacity Zn metal anodes used in Zn-ion batteries suffer from Zn dendrite growth and side reactions caused by water molecules during cycling. The Si anodes experience a huge volume change during lithiation/delithiation. Li metal anodes endure uncontrolled Li dendrite growth and low Coulombic efficiency during Li plating/stripping. Even though more and more creative studies are already driving the development of these three types of batteries, they are still far away from the practical application because the high-capacity anodes (Li metal, Si, Zn metal) used for them suffer from great challenges. It is extremely urgent to explore novel batteries, such as Li-ion batteries with a high-capacity anode, Li metal batteries, and post-Li batteries i.e. With the development of smartphones, electric vehicles, and flex) cannot satisfy the increasing demand for energy density, ,, ]. Then, the challenges and corresponding designed approaches of the functional polymers working in the anodes’ optimization are given for the future development directions of the high energy density batteries.Įlectrochemical energy storage is one of the most challenging problems that people are facing nowadays. Accordingly, to achieve a clear understanding of how polymers work for the optimization of Li metal, Si, or Zn metal, thereby to design the proper polymers driving their practical application, the review comprehensively discusses and summaries the modification strategies, mechanisms, and progress of functional-polymers-modified Li metal, Si, or Zn metal. Moreover, the modification strategies to optimize these anodes can refer to each other to a certain extent but a comprehensive summary has not been provided. Functional polymers have been shown to achieve outstanding effects on optimizing these anodes, yet the explorations with limited knowledge of the working mechanism and design basis of the polymers. Nevertheless, the anodes have great challenges: uncontrolled Li dendrite growth for Li metal, huge volume change for Si, and Zn dendrite growth and side reactions for Zn metal. With the ever-growing demand for high energy density rechargeable batteries, it imposes urgent requirements for developing high-capacity anodes such as Li metal, Si, and Zn metal.
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