A review on polydopamine as an efficient material in different components of rechargeable ion batteries

The progress of a community or a country largely depends on the availability and accessibility of diverse energy sources, as population growth has led to an increase in the use of energy derived from fossil fuels. However, this heightened consumption of fossil fuels has caused resource scarcity and worsened the problem of global warming. The increase in global energy issues has led to the rapid development of electrochemical storage systems in recent years. The battery is crucial in this advancement due to its many applications and the increasing demand for rechargeable batteries, which has resulted in the expansion of the battery market. There has been a focus on electrochemical energy conversion devices, particularly rechargeable ion batteries (RIBs), which can effectively store energy from renewable sources. RIBs, including Li-ion, K-ion, Na-ion, Zn-ion, Ca-ion, Mg-ion, and Al-ion batteries, have the potential to transform industries such as electric vehicles and consumer electronics. Polydopamine (PDA) is derived from the final oxidation of dopamine or other catecholamines. PDA displays an additional advantageous characteristic in its chemical composition, which includes diverse functional groups like catechol, amine, and imine. These functional groups play a crucial role in allowing covalent modification with specific molecules and serving as anchor points for transition metal ions. This exceptional ability enables the creation of a wide range of hybrid materials because of polydopamine's strong ability to reduce these metal ions in alkaline conditions. PDA-based materials have recently piqued the interest of researchers for electrochemical energy storage due to their unique chemical structural diversity, electrochemical property, outstanding adhesive property, and so on. Overall, the incorporation of polydopamine in RIBs shows promise for addressing some of the challenges associated with high-capacity electrode materials and could potentially lead to more efficient and longer-lasting batteries in the future. However, it is important to note that research in this area is ongoing, and commercial implementation may still require further development and optimization. This review focuses on the applications of PDA-based materials in rechargeable batteries such as electrode, binder, electrolyte, separator, current collector, and additives. The benefits and historical accomplishments of PDA-based materials in the field of RIBs are also summarized.