Carboxymethyl cellulose membranes blended with carbon nanotubes/Ag nanoparticles for eco-friendly safer lithium-ion batteries

Abstract

This paper aimed to construct carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) nanocomposite films incorporated with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) by an eco-friendly approach and compared their alternative properties with the pure CMC film. The novelty in this article is the investigation of the dielectric properties of CMC/CNT/Ag, the enhancement of the CMC solubility by citric acid, and the preparation of Ag NPs in a domestic microwave. Treatment of the CMC/CNT/Ag films with citric acid decreased the water solubility and water adsorption by 13.7–83 % and 6–14.3 %, respectively, while enhancing the tensile strength (TS) and elongation at break (EB) by 4–5 % and 81–115 %, respectively, compared to the pristine CMC film. In addition, the pore size and surface area of the prepared films increased due to the incorporation of CNTs. Adding 10 and 20 wt% CNTs and Ag NPs to the treated films decreased the water solubility and adsorption, increasing tensile properties and electrical conductivity. The addition of different concentrations of CNT/Ag to the membrane led to variations in the membrane's electrical properties. CNTs and Ag NPs might be alternatives to nano-fillers for improving the CMC film properties. These CNT/Ag and CMC films could be used as alternative materials in eco-friendly safer lithium-ion batteries.