Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have developed a new separator material for lithium-metal batteries. The technology utilizes porous liquid crystal polymers integrated with polyethylene glycol chains to facilitate ion movement.
The team successfully controlled the orientation of polymer molecules to create direct channels for lithium ions. Experiments demonstrated that vertical alignment reduces the ion path tortuosity by approximately 2.5 times compared to horizontal orientation.
This structural improvement allows for faster, more uniform ion transport and suppresses the formation of metallic dendrites, which typically cause short circuits. The battery achieved a 4C charging rate in laboratory tests.
Under these conditions, the battery can theoretically reach a full charge in 15 minutes. Furthermore, the prototype maintained 94% of its initial capacity after 100 charge-discharge cycles at high charging speeds.
