Bio-Inspired Electrodes with Rational Spatiotemporal Management for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are currently the predominant energy storage power source. However, the urgent issues of enhancing electrochemical performance, prolonging lifetime, preventing thermal runaway-caused fires, and intelligent application are obstacles to their applications. Herein, bio-inspired electrodes owning spatiotemporal management of self-healing, fast ion transport, fire-extinguishing, thermoresponsive switching, recycling, and flexibility are overviewed comprehensively, showing great promising potentials in practical application due to the significantly enhanced durability and thermal safety of LIBs. Taking advantage of the self-healing core-shell structures, binders, capsules, or liquid metal alloys, these electrodes can maintain the mechanical integrity during the lithiation-delithiation cycling. After the incorporation of fire-extinguishing binders, current collectors, or capsules, flame retardants can be released spatiotemporally during thermal runaway to ensure safety. Thermoresponsive switching electrodes are also constructed though adding thermally responsive components, which can rapidly switch LIB off under abnormal conditions and resume their functions quickly when normal operating conditions return. Finally, the challenges of bio-inspired electrode designs are presented to optimize the spatiotemporal management of LIBs. It is anticipated that the proposed electrodes with spatiotemporal management will not only promote industrial application, but also strengthen the fundamental research of bionics in energy storage. This review illustrates that the bio-inspired electrodes own rational spatiotemporal management in terms of self-healing, fast ion transport, flexibility, recycling, self-extinguishing, and thermoresponsive switching. Structures and materials in nature have evolved into the most efficient forms and adapted to various environmental conditions over 3.5 billion years. Taking advantage of the smart multi-functions from natural structures and materials, the bio-inspired electrodes present to optimize the spatiotemporal management of LIBs. It is anticipated that the proposed electrodes with spatiotemporal management will not only promote industrial application, but also strengthen the fundamental research of bionics in energy storage. image