Eletrospinning: Improving the Performance of 1-D Nanofibers Used in Anodes, Cathodes, and Separators in Lithium-Ion Batteries

Electrospinning enables the rapid and facile production of nanofibers with desired structures and morphologies at room temperature and ambient pressure. These nanofibers are suitable cathode, anode, and separator materials for Li-ion batteries (LIBs) because of their one-dimensional(1-D) structures and mechanical strength as well as their ability to enable rapid Li-ion transport through short diffusion pathways. The use of electrospun nanofibers in LIBs can lead to better battery rechargeability, lifespan, and performance than those of existing LIBs. In this review article, we first discuss the problems associated with the cathode, anode, and separator materials currently used in LIBs. Next, we describe the improvements achieved by incorporating electrospun nanofibers as cathode, anode, and separator materials in LIBs. We believe that electrospun nanofibers can promote the advancement of LIB technology to realize very-high-energy-density energy storage systems.