TiO2 ceramic-grafted polyethylene separators for enhanced thermostability and electrochemical performance of lithium-ion batteries

The separator is one of the most critically important components of lithium-ion battery to ensure battery safety. Herein, we introduce a novel TiO2 ceramic-grafted polyethylene (TiO2-grafted PE) separator prepared by electron beam radiation. The TiO2-grafted PE separator displays similar thickness and pore structure to the bare PE separator. Moreover, The TiO2-grafted PE separator exhibits not only stronger dimensional thermal stability (a shrinkage ratio of only 36% even at 150 degrees C), but also better electrochemical performance than the bare PE separator. Therefore, the TiO2-grafted PE separator is greatly beneficial for constructing safer lithium-ion batteries. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.