Volume 142, Issue 23 e56996
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Polydopamine Doped Hexagonal Boron Nitride Coating Separator With Excellent Heat Resistance and Wettability for High-Performance Lithium Metal Batteries

Haihua Wang

Corresponding Author

Haihua Wang

Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xi'an, Shaanxi, P. R. China

Xi'an Key Laboratory of Advanced Performance Materials and Polymers, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, P. R. China

Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Chemical Additives for Industry, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, P. R. China

Correspondence:

Haihua Wang ([email protected])

Contribution: Funding acquisition (lead), Project administration (lead), Supervision (lead), Writing - review & editing (lead)

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Jie Wang

Jie Wang

Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xi'an, Shaanxi, P. R. China

Contribution: Data curation (lead), Formal analysis (lead), ​Investigation (lead), Methodology (lead), Writing - original draft (lead)

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Huizhu Niu

Huizhu Niu

Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xi'an, Shaanxi, P. R. China

Contribution: Data curation (supporting), Formal analysis (supporting)

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Rui Cao

Rui Cao

Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xi'an, Shaanxi, P. R. China

Contribution: Data curation (supporting), ​Investigation (supporting)

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KeWei Shu

KeWei Shu

Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xi'an, Shaanxi, P. R. China

Xi'an Key Laboratory of Advanced Performance Materials and Polymers, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, P. R. China

Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Chemical Additives for Industry, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, P. R. China

Contribution: Funding acquisition (lead), Writing - review & editing (lead)

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Chaoxian Chen

Chaoxian Chen

Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xi'an, Shaanxi, P. R. China

School of Materials Science and Engineering, and Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Physics of Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, P. R. China

Contribution: Writing - review & editing (lead)

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Wei Yuan

Wei Yuan

Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xi'an, Shaanxi, P. R. China

Contribution: Supervision (supporting)

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XiaoSong Li

XiaoSong Li

Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xi'an, Shaanxi, P. R. China

Contribution: Formal analysis (supporting), Supervision (supporting)

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Yun Han

Yun Han

Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xi'an, Shaanxi, P. R. China

Contribution: Supervision (supporting)

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Jiaheng Li

Jiaheng Li

Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xi'an, Shaanxi, P. R. China

Contribution: Formal analysis (supporting), Supervision (supporting)

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Xinyu Shang

Xinyu Shang

Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xi'an, Shaanxi, P. R. China

Contribution: Formal analysis (supporting)

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First published: 20 March 2025

Funding: This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 21978164, 22078189, 22105120. Outstanding Youth Science Fund of Shaanxi Province, No. 2021JC-046. Innovation Support Program of Shaanxi Province, 2021JZY-001. Key Research and Development Program of Shaanxi Province, No. 2020GY-243. Special Research Fund of Education Department of Shaanxi, No. 20JK0535. National High-end Foreign Expert Project, No. GDW20186100428. Key Research and Development Projects of Shaanxi Province, No.2024SF2-GJHX-19.

ABSTRACT

The uneven porous structure of commercial polypropylene (PP) separators leads to non-uniform lithium deposition in lithium metal batteries. This non-uniform deposition promotes the growth of lithium dendrites, which can penetrate the separator, causing internal short circuits and posing significant safety risks. In this work, polydopamine (PDA), which is capable of undergoing self-polymerization, was introduced into h-BN. The two components formed a conjugated molecular structure through π-π interactions, providing enhanced mechanical strength and thermal stability. Subsequently, the PDA-h-BN composite (PB) was coated onto the surface of commercial PP separators to fabricate a novel composite separator (PP-PB). The modified PP-PB separator exhibits excellent thermal stability, electrolyte wettability, and mechanical strength, ensuring uniform heat distribution and acting as a robust barrier against lithium dendrite penetration. Furthermore, the Li/PP-PB/Li cell demonstrated stable cycling for over 1000 h at 1 mA·cm−2 and 0.5 mAh·cm−2. Similarly, the Li/PP-PB/Cu cell maintained a coulombic efficiency (CE) of 98.5% after 200 cycles at 0.5 mA·cm−2. The PP-PB separator ensures uniform lithium deposition and effectively suppresses the formation of lithium dendrites. Additionally, the Li/PP-PB/LFP battery retained a capacity of 158.6 mAh·g−1 with a capacity retention rate of 98.75% after 900 cycles at 1 C, demonstrating superior cycling stability and (CE) compared to the PP-based battery (120 mAh·g−1, 85.7%). This study provides valuable insights for advancing the development of lithium metal batteries.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Data Availability Statement

Data will be made available on request.

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