Battery Separator Research Articles

Melamine-based nanoscale porous organic frameworks as multifunctional separator modifiers to mitigate the polysulfide shuttle effect in lithium–Sulfur batteries

The shuttling of polysulfides between electrodes in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries significantly impairs cycle stability. This study explores the use of melamine-based nanoscale porous organic frameworks (POFs) as polysulfide reservoirs to modify glass fiber (GF) separators. Melamine was reacted with dibromoalkanes of varying carbon chain lengths (n = 4, 8, and 12) to produce a series of POF materials, POF-Cn, with different nanoscale pore sizes and solubilities. The POF composites, POF-Cn/SP/PVP, which include conductive carbon Super P (SP) and a polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) binder, were coated onto GF membranes to create modified separators for Li-S batteries. Batteries with these modified GF separators exhibited higher initial capacities, improved rate performance, and better long-term cycle stability compared to those with non-modified separators. Among the POF composites, POF-C8/SP/PVP exhibited the best performance, with an initial specific capacity of 1392 mAh g-1 at 0.1C and a high capacity retention of 90% after 300 cycles at 0.5C. The enhanced capacity, stability, and rate performance are attributed to the nanoporous structure of POF-C8 and its high nitrogen content, which effectively traps soluble LiPSs and reduces their diffusion toward the Li anode. The good solubility of POF-C8 facilitates uniform dispersion in the modifying layer, promoting efficient polysulfide trapping and maximizing their utilization in electrochemical reactions, aided by the conductive SP in the composite.

Eliminating Hydrogen Fluoride through Piperidine‐Doped Separators for Stable Li Metal Batteries with Nickel‐Rich Cathodes

AbstractHydrofluoric acid (HF)‐induced electrode and interfacial structure degeneration poses a significant challenge for high‐voltage lithium metal batteries (LMBs). To address this issue, we propose a separator strategy that involves decorating a regular polyethylene (PE) separator with molecular sieves (TW) impregnated with piperidine (PI). The porous structure of the TW serves as a reaction chamber for PI and HF. As a result, the HF content in the controlled electrolyte with 500 ppm H2O (ELE‐500) is notably reduced when using TW@PI‐PE separators, thereby shielding nickel‐rich cathodes from HF etching. Simultaneously, due to the hydrolysis of Li salts, and the inertness of PI towards H2O, a uniform lithium fluoride (LiF)‐rich solid electrolyte interphase can form on the Li metal anode, further mitigating dendrite formation. The lifespan of the symmetric Li cell using the TW@PI‐PE separator is doubled in ELE‐500, exhibiting stable 500‐hour cycles at 3 mA cm−2 and 3 mAh cm−2. Additionally, with the effective limitation of transition metal (TM) dissolution, the 4.6‐V LMBs employing a LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 cathode maintain an 81 % capacity retention over 100 cycles, even in ELE‐1000. The innovative TW@PI system presented here offers a fresh perspective for future research aimed at eliminating HF in LMBs.

Application of Y-MOF-CNT-Derived Y2O3-C@CNT Composites in Lithium-Sulfur Battery Separators.

In order to mitigate the shuttle effect of lithium polysulfides in lithium-sulfur batteries, we propose a yttrium-metal-organic framework-carbon nanotube (Y-MOF-CNT)-derived Y2O3-C@CNT composite for modifying the separator in this study. The Y-MOFs, comprising yttrium (Y) rare earth metal and terephthalic acid, exemplify a prototypical category of metal-organic framework (MOF) materials. They manifest the advantageous attributes associated with MOFs while concurrently possessing distinctive catalytic traits ascribed to rare earth elements. In this study, Y-MOF nanoparticles were synthesized on carbon nanotube (CNT) substrates via a facile aqueous solution method, succeeded by high-temperature carbonization to yield Y2O3-C@CNT composite materials. These composites were subsequently employed as coatings on one side of polyethylene (PE) separators. The resultant Y2O3-C@CNT composite inherits the particle-like morphology and porosity from its precursor Y-MOF, alongside the inherent conductivity in carbon-based materials. This amalgamation is conducive to polysulfide capture and catalytic conversion processes within lithium-sulfur batteries. The application of the Y2O3-C@CNT-coated PE separator effectively mitigated polysulfide shuttle effects and significantly enhanced the battery electrochemical performance. At a sulfur loading level of 3 mg cm-2 under a 0.5 C rate, an initial discharge specific capacity of 900 mAh g-1 was achieved. After 400 cycles, the discharge specific capacity remained at 483.85 mAh g-1 with a capacity retention rate of 53.7%. Upon increasing sulfur loading to 5 mg cm-2, the discharge specific capacity at a lower rate (0.1 C) reached 817.8 mAh g-1; even after 100 cycles, it maintained a value of 700 mAh g-1 with a capacity retention rate of 85.6%. Notably, our modified Y2O3-C@CNT separator demonstrated exceptional cycling stability, even under conditions involving high sulfur loading.

Nitrogen-Doped Graphene Uniformly Loaded with Large Interlayer Spacing MoS2 Nanoflowers for Enhanced Lithium-Sulfur Battery Performance.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries offer a high theoretical energy density but suffer from poor cycling stability and polysulfide shuttling, which limits their practical application. To address these challenges, we developed a PANI-modified MoS2-NG composite, where MoS2 nanoflowers were uniformly grown on graphene oxide (GO) through PANI modification, resulting in an increased interlayer spacing of MoS2. This expanded spacing exposed more active sites, enhancing polysulfide adsorption and catalytic conversion. The composite was used to prepare MoS2-NG/PP separators for Li-S batteries, which achieved a high specific capacity of 714 mAh g-1 at a 3 C rate and maintained a low capacity decay rate of 0.085% per cycle after 500 cycles at 0.5 C. The larger MoS2 interlayer spacing was key to improving redox reaction kinetics and suppressing the shuttle effect, making the MoS2-NG composite a promising material for enhancing the performance and stability of Li-S batteries.

Uniform Poly(vinyl ethylene carbonate) based metal-organic framework separator for smooth lithium-ion electrodeposition

Nanoporous feature in Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) could tune Li+-solvated species and provide high potential for stabilizing lithium metal anodes. However, the inevitable voids within MOF crystallites accommodating free liquid electrolyte, which re-solvates Li+-solvated compounds and vanishes nanopores' advantage for controlling Li+-solvates. Herein, we report an in-situ carbonate photopolymerization reaction within MOF channel that constitutes a uniform nanoporous separator (PVEC-MOF) for smoothing Li+ electrodeposition. PVEC-MOF membrane exhibits accelerating lithium-ion conduction and superior electrochemical performance according to the interconnected ionic nano-channels, whose overpotential maintains at about 0.01 V after 600 cycles in Li-symmetric cell without forming lithium dendrite. Furthermore, employing PVEC-MOF separator in high-voltage cathode material (LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2) based Li-metal batteries could effectively enhance electrochemical property and prolong cycling lifespan. This work provides a novel strategy to convert traditional MOF family into uniform nanoporous lithium-ion battery separator, which promotes Li+ smooth electrodeposition and inhibits lithium dendrites in high-energy-density lithium-metal batteries.

CeVO4/KBNanoparticlesonShuttle Effect Inhibition in Lithium-Sulfur Battery Separator Modification.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries display promise as redox-based batteries, where separators are an essential part of preventing short-circuiting of the positive and negative electrodes, while the shuttle effect is a critical issue of separators. Currently, commercial PP separators are weak in inhibiting the polysulfides shuttling, so modified separators are needed to inhibit it to improve the battery performance. This paper reports that CeVO4/KB composites act as separator materials. CeVO4/KB modified PP separators enhanced the adsorption of LiPSs, accelerated the rate of Li+ migration, and catalyzed the conversion of LiPSs. These bring about the effect that CeVO4/KB/PP batteries reach 1200.9 mAh g-1 in the first cycle with a capacity retention rate of 86.5% after 100 cycles at 0.2 C and reach 882.7 mAh g-1 of the initial cycle with a capacity decay rate of 0.063% after 1000 cycles at 3 C. This work introduces rare earth metal vanadates to modify the separator, adding new ideas for designing separators for good-performance batteries.

Electrospun PVDF-Based Polymers for Lithium-Ion Battery Separators: A Review

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have been widely applied in electronic communication, transportation, aerospace, and other fields, among which separators are vital for their electrochemical stability and safety. Electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)-based separators have a large specific surface area, high porosity, and remarkable thermal stability, which significantly enhances the electrochemistry and safety of LIBs. First, this paper reviewed recent research hotspots and processes of electrospun PVDF-based LIB separators; then, their pivotal parameters influencing morphology, structures, and properties of separators, especially in the process of electrospinning solution preparation, electrospinning process, and post-treatment methods were summarized. Finally, the challenges of PVDF-based LIB separators were proposed and discussed, which paved the way for the application of electrospun PVDF-based separators in LIBs and the development of LIBs with high electrochemistry and security.

On the Use of Recycled PVB to Develop Sustainable Separators for Greener Li‐Ion Batteries

AbstractIn this work, sustainable Li‐based battery separators are prepared starting from a waste material from the glass industry, viz. polyvinyl butyral (PVB) widely used as a sacrificial interlayer in high impact‐resistant windows. First, polymeric membranes are prepared via the phase‐inversion method using commercial PVB as the backbone and 4,4′‐methylenebis(cyclohexylisocyanate) as a crosslinking agent. They are characterized from a physicochemical viewpoint by thermomechanical analysis, infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy, and are successfully tested as separators in Li‐metal cells with LP30 electrolyte. Electrical and electrochemical properties are evaluated by impedance spectroscopy and galvanostatic cycling, providing comparable results with commercial Celgard 25 µm monolayer microporous polypropylene separator. As a proof‐of‐concept, for the first time, recycled PVB‐based polymer membranes from wasted car glasses are prepared, adjusting the synthesis protocol to account for the presence of plasticizers and contaminants. They show a dense elastomeric appearance and proved to be compatible with Li metal and stable upon 600 h of Li plating/stripping. The electrochemical window is compatible with the LiFePO4 cathode, as demonstrated by prolonged galvanostatic cycling (250 cycles) in laboratory‐scale cells. Preliminary results are highly encouraging and pave the way to developing novel separators for safe, low‐cost, and sustainable energy storage devices.

Natural Silkworm Cocoon-Derived Separator with Na-Ion De-Solvated Function for Sodium Metal Batteries.

The commercialization of sodium batteries faces many challenges, one of which is the lack of suitable high-quality separators. Herein, we presented a novel natural silkworm cocoon-derived separator (SCS) obtained from the cocoon inner membrane after a simple degumming process. A Na||Na symmetric cell assembled with this separator can be stably cycled for over 400 h under test conditions of 0.5 mA cm-2-0.5 mAh cm-2. Moreover, the Na||SCS||Na3V2(PO4)3 full cell exhibits an initial capacity of 79.3 mAh g-1 at 10 C and a capacity retention of 93.6% after 1000 cycles, which far exceeded the 57.5 mAh g-1 and 42.1% of the full cell using a commercial glass fiber separator (GFS). The structural origin of this excellent electrochemical performance lies in the fact that cationic functional groups (such as amino groups) on silkworm proteins can de-solvate Na-ions by anchoring the ClO4- solvent sheath, thereby enhancing the transference number, transport kinetics and deposition/dissolution properties of Na-ions. In addition, the SCS has significantly better mechanical properties and thinness indexes than the commercial GFS, and, coupled with the advantages of being natural, cheap, non-polluting and degradable, it is expected to be used as a commercialized sodium battery separator material.

Cationic Covalent Organic Framework-Modified Polypropylene Separator for High-Performance Lithium Metal Batteries.

As an important component of lithium batteries, the wettability and thermal stability of the separator play a significant role in cell performance. Despite the availability of numerous commercial separators, issues such as low ion selectivity and poor thermal stability continue to limit the efficiency and reliability of the batteries. Herein, two cationic covalent organic frameworks (Br-COF and TFSI-COF) with abundant imidazole cationic groups were designed to modify commercial polypropylene (PP) separators. The strong lithium-ion affinity of the cationic COF enables the effective dissociation of lithium salt ion clusters, simplifying the solvent structure of lithium ions to promote lithium ions transport. Additionally, solvent anions can be anchored to the cationic COF by electrostatic interactions, reducing side reactions on the lithium metal anode surface to form a favorable SEI layer, which can effectively inhibit the growth of lithium dendrites. The rapid dissociation of anions in lithium salts with some organic solvents and cationic COFs was revealed by a molecular dynamics simulation. A LiF-rich SEI layer on the lithium metal anode surface was formed, which can speed up Li+ transport at interfaces, leading to consistent lithium deposition and outstanding battery performance. The ordered porous structure of the cationic COF provides interconnected and continuous channels, improving the wettability between the liquid electrolyte and separators, which is conducive to ion transport. When paired with a LiFePO4 cathode and electrolyte (1.0 M LiTFSI in DEC: EC: DMC = 1:1:1), the LiFePO4/TFSI-COF@PP/Li cell demonstrates a prominent cycling capacity of 148.0 mAh g-1 at 0.5 C with a Coulombic efficiency of 98.0% in the first cycle, and the capacity retention is 82.0% after 100 cycles, showing good cycling stability. Thus, this investigation provides inspiration for the expansion of cationic COF-modified separators for next-generation lithium metal batteries.

Searching for thermal shutdown separators in lithium-ion batteries: Paradigm and practice

This paper focuses on the thermal shutdown separators for thermal runaway control in lithium-ion batteries (LIB). In electrical cars (EV), thermal runaway is the most catastrophic and life-threatening failure mode. Here we reexamined 17 reported phase-change-based thermal shutdown separators and suggested a new design paradigm for thermal shutdown separators of EV level batteries. Through accelerating rate calorimeter (ARC), we have obtained the thermal response curves of three typical EV level batteries: LFP 18,650 battery, NCM 18,650 battery and NCM pouch battery and summarized their critical temperatures. Taking NCM pouch battery as an example, we formed a searching zone for the 17 phase-change-based thermal shutdown separators and found that only 7 of them falling into the promising zone. After analysis on these 7 composite materials, we designed a new trial composite material PBS/PI, which turned out successful in all the following thermal and electrochemical tests. Moreover, we are aware from the beginning that all the reported materials are only tested in button batteries and may not as well apply to EV level batteries. Our own practice has also shown this discrepancy. Thereby we employed thermal simulation to help mapping the discrepancy between the button battery and pouch battery. The results shows that the thermal shutdown happens much earlier in the button battery when elevating the temperature, which tricks researchers into misjudging the material feasibility. This work offers avenues for the searching of thermal shutdown separators in EV level batteries.

Biomimetic Aramid Nanofiber/β-FeOOH Composite Coating for Polypropylene Separators in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Aramid nanofibers (ANFs), with attractive mechanical and thermal properties, have attracted much attention as key building units for the design of high-performance composite materials. Although great progress has been made, the potential of ANFs as fibrous protein mimetics for controlling the growth of inorganic materials has not been fully revealed, which is critical for avoiding phase separation associated with typical solution blending. In this work, we show that ANFs could template the oriented growth of β-FeOOH nanowhiskers, which enables the synthesis of ANFs/β-FeOOH hybrids as composite coatings for polypropylene (PP) separators in Li-S batteries. The modified PP separator exhibits enhanced mechanical properties, heightened thermal performance, optimized electrolyte wettability, and improved ion conductivity, leading to superior electrochemical properties, including high initial specific capacity, better rate capability, and long cycling stability, which are superior to those of the commercial PP separators. Importantly, the addition of β-FeOOH to ANFs could further contribute to the suppression of lithium polysulfide shuttling by chemical immobilization, inhibition of the growth of lithium dendrites because of the intrinsic high modulus and hardness, and promotion of reaction dynamics due to the catalytic effect. We believe that our work may provide a potent biomimetic pathway for the development of advanced battery separators based on ANFs.

Nano-necklace Co/β-Mo2C hetero-nanodots encapsulating into carbon nanotubes with strong adsorption and catalytic conversion of polysulfides for lithium‑sulfur batteries separator

Due to their high theoretical capacity and high energy density, Lithium‑sulfur (LiS) batteries become the research hotspot in the field of electrochemical energy storage. However, the serious capacity loss caused by the shuttle effect and the decomposition of polysulfides is the biggest obstacle in the research process and practical application of lithium‑sulfur batteries. Herein, cobalt (Co) and molybdenum carbide (Mo2C) hetero-nanodots wrapping into nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (Co-Mo2C@NCNTs) are successfully prepared by direct self-catalysis annealing process. When utilized into the polypropylene (PP) separator modifier, the batteries assembled with Co-Mo2C@NCNTs//PP separator presents high capacity and outstanding rate capability. Specifically, it's worth noting that the cells display a high initial specific capacity of 1463.6mAh g−1 at 0.1C, superior rate capacity of 778.7 mAh g−1 at 3C, and excellent cycle stability with capacity decay rate of only 0.11 % per cycle for 500 cycles at 0.5C. Besides, the outstanding electrochemical performance is also demonstrated under high sulfur loading (3.5 mg cm−2). This work provides a novel guidance direction for high-performance lithium‑sulfur batteries from separator modification.

Low-cost and durable polyvinyl alcohol modified polyethylene separator for vanadium redox flow battery

Porous separators are considered a viable alternative to the high cost Nafion membrane for vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) commercialization. However, the porous separators suffer from high vanadium ion crossover due to the presence of large micron size pores, which leads to decay in capacity of the VRFB system. To tackle the same, a composite separator is synthesized wherein a cross-linked polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) layer is coated on to the porous polyethylene silica separator (PE separator) to mitigate the vanadium ion crossover rate and employed in the VRFB application. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis confirmed the successful coating of the PVA film on to the PE separator. Synthesized PE-PVA separator showed a significant decrease in the vanadium ion crossover by 31.44 times compared to the pristine PE separator. Consequently, the self-discharge time increases by 8 and 1.66 times compared to the pristine PE separator and the Nafion117 membrane, respectively. VRFB cell equipped with the synthesized separator showed better capacity retention with a capacity fade rate of 0.2 % Ah·cycle−1 than the Nafion117 membrane (0.5 % Ah·cycle−1). In-situ and ex-situ oxidative stability of the separator is explored in detail and a degradation mechanism of the cross-linked PVA membrane is proposed accordingly. The synthesized single side coated PE-PVA´ separator exhibits higher coulombic efficiency of 99 % and comparable energy efficiency of 71 % at a current density of 120 mA·cm−2 and demonstrated excellent lifetime durability tested up to 1600 charge-discharge cycles at 80 mA·cm−2.

Reversible Li plating regulation on graphite anode through a barium sulfate nanofibers-based dielectric separator for fast charging and high-safety lithium-ion battery

Poor Li plating reversibility and high thermal runaway risks are key challenges for fast charging lithium-ion batteries with graphite anodes. Herein, a dielectric and fire-resistant separator based on hybrid nanofibers of barium sulfate (BS) and bacterial cellulose (BC) is developed to synchronously enhance the battery’s fast charging and thermal-safety performances. The regulation mechanism of the dielectric BS/BC separator in enhancing the Li+ ion transport and Li plating reversibility is revealed. (1) The Max-Wagner polarization electric field of the dielectric BS/BC separator can accelerate the desolvation of solvated Li+ ions, enhancing their transport kinetics. (2) Moreover, due to the charge balancing effect, the dielectric BS/BC separator homogenizes the electric field/Li+ ion flux at the graphite anode-separator interface, facilitating uniform Li plating and suppressing Li dendrite growth. Consequently, the fast-charge graphite anode with the BS/BC separator shows higher Coulombic efficiency (99.0% vs. 96.9%) and longer cycling lifespan (100 cycles vs. 59 cycles) than that with the polypropylene (PP) separator in the constant-lithiation cycling test at 2 mA cm−2. The high-loading LiFePO4 (15.5 mg cm−2)//graphite (7.5 mg cm−2) full cell with the BS/BC separator exhibits excellent fast charging performance, retaining 70% of its capacity after 500 cycles at a high rate of 2 C, which is significantly better than that of the cell with the PP separator (retaining only 27% of its capacity after 500 cycles). More importantly, the thermally stable BS/BC separator effectively elevates the critical temperature and reduces the heat release rate during thermal runaway, thereby significantly enhancing the battery’s safety.

Waste to wealth: calcium-magnesium mud-coated polypropylene separator for lithium-ion battery

Waste to wealth: calcium-magnesium mud-coated polypropylene separator for lithium-ion battery

Inhibiting polysulfide shuttle and enhancing polysulfide redox: Conductive 2D metal-organic framework coated separators for lithium-sulfur batteries

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have emerged as promising candidates for next-generation energy storage systems due to their high energy density and cost-effectiveness. However, their practical application faces several challenges, mainly the shuttle effect of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs). This effect implies the movement of dissolved LiPSs between the cathode and anode, leading to poor cycling stability and reduced energy efficiency. To overcome this issue, we present a novel approach involving the integration of a conductive 2D nickel hexahydroxytriphenylene (Ni-HHTP) metal-organic framework (MOF) and a carbon black of Super P (SP) onto a commonly used polyethylene (PE) separator. This functional composite coating facilitates efficient chemical adsorption and reutilization of LiPSs, resulting in improved cycling performance and enhanced stability. Significantly, the Ni-HHTP@SP coated separator demonstrates excellent discharge capacity, reaching 813 mAh g−1 at a rate of 335 mA g−1 (0.2 C, 1 C = 1675 mA g−1) even after 100 cycles. These results underscore the effectiveness of the Ni-HHTP@SP coated separators in enhancing the performance and stability of Li-S batteries, offering valuable insights for practical implementation in energy storage applications.

Constructing high-throughput and highly adsorptive lithium–sulfur battery separator coatings based on three-dimensional hexagonal star-shaped MOF derivatives

The electrochemical performance of high-performance lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries is affected by many factors such as shuttle effect and lithium dendrites. To effectively solve this problem, a hexagonal star-shaped composite catalyst containing Co–N–C active sites (Co–NC–X) has been rationally developed under the joint action of Zn2+ and Co2+ bimetallic ions. By modifying it to the Li–S battery separator, Co–NC–X can not only act as a physical barrier to effectively prevent the diffusion of lithium polysulfide (LiPS), but also the special morphology can expose more active sites and have a strong chemisorption effect on LiPS, which effectively promotes the redox conversion of LiPS and mitigates the shuttle effect. Li–S battery with Co–NC–X exhibits excellent electrochemical performance. It has a high specific capacity and stable cycling performance, with an initial discharge capacity of 1406.9 mAh·g−1 at 0.2 C and 876.8 mAh·g−1 at 2 C, and a lower capacity decline rate of 0.093 % for 500 cycles.

Nonsolvent-Induced Phase Separation pPAN Separators for Dendrite-Free Rechargeable Aluminum Batteries.

Rechargeable aluminum batteries (RAB) are a promising energy storage system with high safety, long cycle life, and low cost. However, the strong corrosiveness of chloroaluminate ionic liquid electrolytes (ILEs) severely limits the development of RAB separators. Herein, a nonsolvent-induced phase separation strategy was applied to fabricate the pPAN (poly(vinyl alcohol)-modified polyacrylonitrile) separator, which exhibits prominent chemical and electrochemical stability in ILEs. The pPAN separator, owing to its uniform pore size distribution and strong electronegativity with a zeta potential of about -10.20 mV, can effectively inhibit the growth of dendrites. Benefiting from the good ion conductivity (6.38 mS cm-1) and high ion migration number (0.133) of pPAN separator, the full cell with pPAN separator demonstrates stable operation for more than 500 cycles at 600 mA g-1, with a high capacity of 88.8 mAh g-1. When integrating into sodium-ion batteries, the pPAN separators also show an excellent electrochemical performance. This work provides a considerable approach for designing separators to address the issue of Al anode dendrite growth in RABs.

Hydrophilicity modification of polyphenylene sulfide: A comparative study on the introduction of Zr by physical blending and copolymerization

Polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) is widely used in auto components, machinery parts, electrical accessories, and anti-corrosion coatings, but its hydrophobicity restricts its application in biomaterials, medical equipment, battery separators, and oil pollution separation membranes. To improve the hydrophilicity of PPS, zirconium oxynitrate reacted with 3,5-dichlorosalicylic acid (SA) to generate zirconium-carboxylate (ZrSA). ZrSA was then incorporated into the main chain of PPS through copolymerization to yield hydrophilic copolymers (ZrSA-PPS). Meanwhile, SA was copolymerized into the main chain of the PPS to produce SA-PPS. Next, SA-PPS and ZrO2 were physically blended to obtain hydrophilic composites (ZrO2/SA-PPS). The melting point of ZrSA-PPS ranged from 278.19 to 281.16 °C, which was slightly higher than that of ZrO2/SA-PPS (278.39–279.95 °C), but its crystallinity (34.3–41.2 %) was lower than that of ZrO2/SA-PPS (42.2–51.6 %). The maximum decomposition temperatures of ZrSA-PPS and ZrO2/SA-PPS were increased by about 10 °C, indicating that the Zr–O bonds obstruct the thermally induced movements of the molecular chain. The ZrSA-PPS possessed a tensile strength of 40.8–70.5 MPa and a flexural strength of 46.4–103.4 MPa. The tensile and flexural strengths of ZrO2/SA-PPS (14.6–65.1 Mpa and 23.1–100.3 Mpa) were significantly inferior to that of ZrSA-PPS. This revealed that the ZrSA cross-linked structure can prevent crack propagation. The water contact angle of ZrSA-PPS and ZrO2/SA-PPS were ranged from 59.0° to 76.5° and 61.6°–78.5° (Neat-PPS, ∼87.9°), respectively. The agglomeration of ZrO2 resulted in a slightly higher water contact angle for ZrO2/SA-PPS than for ZrSA-PPS. The enhanced hydrophilicity of ZrSA-PPS benefited from the formation of large chain spacing, strong polar groups, and hydrogen bonds. Our study may shed light on the hydrophilic modification of PPS, which should offer a valuable guide and option for PPS in hydrophilic applications.