A research team from KAIST has developed a groundbreaking eco-friendly method for manufacturing protective films for lithium-metal batteries, significantly enhancing battery lifespan and environmental sustainability. Led by Professor Il-Doo Kim, the team collaborated with Professor Ji-Young Lee’s team at Ajou University to create a hollow-structured nanofiber protective film using guar gum, a natural polymer derived from plants. This film prevents lithium dendrites from forming on the anode, improving battery lifespan by 7.5 times and maintaining performance even after 300 charge-discharge cycles. The film is entirely eco-friendly as it uses water-based processing with no organic solvents, and it decomposes fully in soil within a month. This innovation represents a leap forward for sustainable battery technologies, addressing the environmental issues tied to battery production and disposal. The research findings were published in the November 21 issue of Advanced Materials. The team’s achievement has the potential to revolutionize the battery industry and contribute to a more sustainable future.
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