Enhanced cycling stability of Li–O2 batteries by using a polyurethane/SiO2/glass fiber nanocomposite separator

A considerable improvement in the cycle performance of aprotic Li–O2 batteries was achieved by using a polyurethane/SiO2 gel nanoparticles/glass fiber (PU/SiO2/GF) nanocomposite separator, where a persistent capability of 1000 mA h g−1 was maintained for at least 300 charge/discharge cycles in a DMSO electrolyte with 1 M LiClO4 and 0.05 M LiI. In comparison, the cell with a conventional GF separator in the same experimental setup only run for 60 cycles. SEM, XRD and FT-IR analyses indicate that the corrosion and dendritic growth of the Li anode were significantly inhibited during the charge/discharge cycling, and the eventual failure of the Li–O2 batteries was attributed to the cathode passivation caused by the accumulation of the discharge product, which blocked the transfer of oxygen and electrolyte to the MWNTs cathode.