Oxidized bacterial cellulose separator for batteries and method for producing the same

Abstract

A separator for a lithium-based battery, and method for fabricating the same is disclosed. The method includes oxidizing cellulose fibrils to form oxidized cellulose having carboxylic functional groups, decorating the oxidized cellulose with nanoparticles, and forming the nanoparticle-decorated oxidized cellulose into a film to become the separator for the lithium-based battery. The cellulose may be a bacterial cellulose. The cellulose fibrils may be oxidized through a TEMPO oxidation. Decorating the oxidized cellulose with nanoparticles may include introducing a precursor solution to the oxidized cellulose that reacts with hydroxyl groups of the oxidized cellulose while preserving the carboxylic functional groups, causing the nanoparticles to nucleate on the surface of the oxidized cellulose. The nanoparticles may be composed of an oxide material. The oxide material may be SiO2. The precursor solution may be tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.