Develops High-Performance Lithium-Ion Battery Technology using Graphene Films

- Applicable to high-energy density lithium-ion batteries with a long lifespan and suitability for mass production -

- Selected as a cover paper in the journal Small Methods (JCR Q1 ranking, Impact Factor: 10.7) -

Professor Shim Jun-Seob (Department of Electronics Convergence Engineering) and his research team at Kwangwoon University have developed an innovative lithium-ion battery anode material using graphene. This research involved using a polymer as a supporting material to create graphene films, which were then utilized as anode materials to develop lithium-ion batteries. The developed graphene anode material plays a crucial role in stabilizing the graphene structure, resulting in a longer battery lifespan. It also provides vertical pathways for electron and ion movement, significantly enhancing the overall performance of lithium-ion batteries. This technology is cost-efficient and scalable for mass production, making it a promising candidate for next-generation battery materials.

The research findings were selected as a cover paper in Small Methods, a world-renowned SCI journal in the field of electronic materials.

 (Reference : https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/smtd.202400189)

With the recent surge in demand for electric vehicles and portable devices, the need for high-performance batteries has grown significantly. Graphene anode materials exhibit high electron mobility and ion conductivity. However, when graphene is fabricated into a film, it often fails to maintain its structure and is prone to breaking easily. Therefore, it is challenging to mass-produce graphene in film form for use as an anode material in lithium-ion batteries. Additionally, when applied to batteries, graphene tends to break, leading to a shorter lifespan.

Professor Shim Jun-Seop's research team addressed these issues by developing a graphene-polymer film, where graphene is robustly formed on a hexagonal polymer structure as a support. The developed graphene-polymer film demonstrated high electron mobility and ion conductivity in the vertical direction, proving through experiments that it ensures both high battery efficiency and a long lifespan. Additionally, as a self-supporting electrode that does not require a binder, it is cost-effective and reduces the weight of the battery. The graphene-polymer film developed in this study achieved a capacity of 581 mAh/g as a battery anode material and maintained 80% of its capacity even after over 400 charge-discharge cycles. This performance surpasses that of existing lithium-ion battery technology and is expected to significantly contribute to the advancement of next-generation battery performance.

@ High-performance lithium-ion battery technology using graphene-polymer film

Professor Shim Jun-Seop stated, "Graphene, often referred to as a 'dream material,' possesses various properties such as conductivity, mechanical strength, and thermal conductivity, making it a highly promising material for next-generation electronic devices and energy storage systems. The graphene anode material developed using graphene-polymer film technology is expected to further maximize these properties and significantly enhance the performance of lithium-ion batteries."

Meanwhile, this research was supported by the Super-Gap Startup 1000%%1%% Project (DIPS 1000%+%) and Kwangwoon University's internal research funding. The results were published as a cover article in Small Methods (JCR Q1 ranking, Impact Factor: 10.7), a prestigious international journal published by Wiley-VCH.