Preventing thermal runaway in lithium-ion batteries with nano-porous structures: A critical review

Lithium-ion batteries are sought after rechargeable energy storage units which are extensively used in modern technologies such as grid storage systems, consumer electronics, and electric vehicles. However, thermal hazards such as thermal runaway persists to be the main safety solicitude, associated with these batteries. Thermal runaway could initiate from any structural instability so the battery unit should work optimally in all involved multi-physics aspects. There are different ways to prevent thermal runaway in batteries and the aim is to review the methods leading to battery safety by expanding the potential use of nanoporous structures and novel materials in different battery components, such as electrodes, electrolyte and separators. Furthermore, use of nanoporous material in thermal battery management systems, battery cooling, solid-state batteries and other battery components are evaluated. the challenges and potential research directions of nanoporous structures and porosity engineering suited for thermal safety, cyclic ageing studies and relevant data base establishment for data-driven modelling will be discussed. Application of nano-porous material holds potential for battery safety and enabling wide-scale adoption of batteries in various applications. Nanoporous structures and additives used for thermal management, promise an innovative approach to preventing thermal runaway in batteries by exploiting latent heat storage capacity. These structures have porosity and nano-scale material with high surface areas, allowing them to absorb and store necessary components to enhance thermal and structural safety.