Polyethersulfone-based thick polymer-supported graphene sheet for high energy density lithium-ion battery

High-energy-density graphene-based anodes as lithium-ion batteries have attracted considerable attention for space-constrained applications, including portable devices and electric cars, boosting energy efficiency, performance, and usability. In this work, for the first time, the polyethersulfone sheet (PES-sheet) has been developed by conventional hot-embossing processes and fabricated into a vertically-ionically conductive porous multi-layered and high-energy density free-standing thick graphene sheet using laser-induced graphene (LIG) techniques. Additionally, the hexagonal pores on the PES sheet increase the lithiation and de-lithiation processes without reducing capacity; therefore, the battery lifecycle improves. Scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and optical images investigate the multi-layer-free-standing thick graphene sheet hexagonal-pore, vertically connected and supported by polymer. Also, PES porous LIG formation is studied using Raman spectroscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The proposed anode as a lithium-ion battery demonstrates capacity retention of 80.70 % from the specific capacity 710 mA h/g at 0.1C and maintains 99 % coulombic efficiency over 200 cycles. Furthermore, the proposed anode as a lithium-ion battery demonstrates a 30 % increase in aerial capacity compared to the commercially available Kapton film. Thus, the multi-layer-free-standing thick graphene LIG anode combined with the simple fabrication techniques and binders-free non-hazardous approach is a promising energy storage candidate for lithium-ion batteries.