Background
Electrodeposition is a process that uses an electric current to deposit a layer of metal onto a conductive surface, essentially creating a coating on the material. Electrodeposition helps to protect against corrosion, enhance properties like conductivity, and achieve decorative finished in batteries (in addition to other porous substrates). One application of electrodeposition is using a metal-organic framework (MOF), which is a porous, crystalline material made of metal ions and organic linkers. However, this method faces substantial challenges because battery separators are insulating materials, and they must be deposited on a separator through methods like sputtering or evaporation.
Invention Description
Researchers at Arizona State University have developed a novel method of adjacent electrodeposition to deposit ultra-thin, highly compact, and leak-free metal-organic framework (MOF) materials on a separator without requiring a pre-deposited metal layer. This method eliminates inter-grain leaks, ensuring a seamless, defect-free MOF film with sub-nanometer-scale pores. This approach enables direct, large-are deposition of ultra-thin MOF films while maintaining superior structural integrity.
Potential Applications:
- Advanced Battery Separators for Lithium-Sulfur (Li-S) & Lithium-Metal Batteries
- Gas Separation Membranes
- Water Desalination & Ion Separation
- Electrocatalysis & Fuel Cells for Clean Energy Conversion
- Ultra-Selective Sensors for Environmental & Biomedical Applications
Benefits and Advantages:
- Leak-free MOF films: eliminates inter-grain leaks for exceptional ion/molecule selectivity
- Ultra-thin and compact: achieves highly uniform and dense films with minimal thickness, optimizing performance in separation and energy applications
- No metal seeding layer required: simplifies processing, reduces costs, and avoids metal contamination of the separator
- Maintains electrical insulation: prevents potential electrical shorting
- Large-area, crack-free deposition: ensures scalable, high-quality MOF coatings over extended surfaces