Fabricating Multifunctional Nanoparticle Membranes by a Fast Layer-by-Layer Langmuir-Blodgett Process: Application in Lithium-sulfur Batteries

TL;DR

This paper introduces rapid layer-by-layer Langmuir-Blodgett techniques to fabricate multifunctional nanoparticle membranes, exemplified by improved lithium-sulfur battery performance through structured MWCNT/SiO2 layers.

Contribution

It presents two novel LB methods for fast, ordered nanoparticle film creation on non-reactive supports, enabling multifunctional membranes for energy storage applications.

Findings

Created dense, multilayered MWCNT/SiO2 membranes with ~130 mg/cm² coverage

Membranes effectively adsorb lithium polysulfides, enhancing battery performance

Layered structures improve mass and charge transport in Li-S batteries

Abstract

The Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique is a powerful, widely used method for preparing coatings of amphiphilic molecules at air/water interfaces with thickness control down to a single molecule. Here we report two new LB techniques designed to create ordered, multifunctional nanoparticle films on any non-reactive support. The methods utilize Marangoni stresses produced by surfactants at a fluid/solid/gas interface and self-assembly of nanoparticles to facilitate rapid creation of dense monolayers of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), metal-oxide nanoparticles, polymers, and combinations of these materials in a layer-by-layer configuration. Using the polyolefin separator in a lithium sulfur (Li-S) electrochemical cell as an example, we illustrate how the method can be used to create structured membranes for regulating mass and charge transport. We show that a layered MWCNT/SiO2/MWCNT nanomaterial created in a clip-like configuration, with gravimetric areal coverage of ~130 mg cm-2 and a thickness of ~3 micron, efficiently adsorbs dissolved lithium polysulfide (LiPS) species and efficiently reutilize them for improving Li-S battery performance.