Ultraviolet-Cured Semi-Interpenetrating Network Polymer Electrolytes for High-Performance Quasi-Solid-State Lithium Metal Batteries

Solid polymer electrolytes with relatively low ionic conductivity at room temperature and poor mechanical strength greatly restrict their practical applications. Herein, we design semi-interpenetrating network polymer (SNP) electrolyte composed of an ultraviolet-crosslinked polymer network (ethoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate), linear polymer chains (polyvinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) and lithium salt solution to satisfy the demand of high ionic conductivity, good mechanical flexibility, and electrochemical stability for lithium metal batteries. The semi-interpenetrating network has a pivotal effect in improving chain relaxation, facilitating the local segmental motion of polymer chains and reducing the polymer crystallinity. Thanks to these advantages, the SNP electrolyte shows a high ionic conductivity (1.12 mS cm⁻¹ at 30 °C), wide electrochemical stability window (4.6 V vs. Li⁺/Li), good bendability and shape versatility. The promoted ion transport combined with suppressed impedance growth during cycling contribute to good cell performance. The assembled quasi-solid-state lithium metal batteries (LiFePO₄/SNP/Li) exhibit good cycling stability and rate capability at room temperature.     

A Perovskite Electrolyte That Is Stable in Moist Air for Lithium‐Ion Batteries

Solid‐oxide Li⁺ electrolytes of a rechargeable cell are generally sensitive to moisture in the air as H⁺ exchanges for the mobile Li⁺ of the electrolyte and forms insulating surface phases at the electrolyte interfaces and in the grain boundaries of a polycrystalline membrane. These surface phases dominate the total interfacial resistance of a conventional rechargeable cell with a solid–electrolyte separator. We report a new perovskite Li⁺ solid electrolyte, Li_0.38Sr_0.44Ta_0.7Hf_0.3O_2.95F_0.05, with a lithium‐ion conductivity of σ_Li=4.8×10^?4 S cm^?1 at 25 °C that does not react with water having 3≤pH≤14. The solid electrolyte with a thin Li⁺‐conducting polymer on its surface to prevent reduction of Ta⁵⁺ is wet by metallic lithium and provides low‐impedance dendrite‐free plating/stripping of a lithium anode. It is also stable upon contact with a composite polymer cathode. With this solid electrolyte, we demonstrate excellent cycling performance of an all‐solid‐state Li/LiFePO₄ cell, a Li‐S cell with a polymer‐gel cathode, and a supercapacitor.     

Polymer/colloid dual-phase electrolyte membrane for rechargeable lithium batteries

In this work, a polymer/ceramic phase-separation porous membrane is first prepared from polyvinyl alcohol–polyacrylonitrile water emulsion mixed with fumed nano-SiO₂ particles by the phase inversion method. This porous membrane is then wetted by a non-aqueous Li–salt liquid electrolyte to form the polymer/colloid dual-phase electrolyte membrane. Compared to the liquid electrolyte in conventional polyolefin separator, the obtained electrolyte membrane has superior properties in high ionic conductivity (1.9 mS?cm^?1 at 30 °C), high Li⁺ transference number (0.41), high electrochemical stability (extended up to 5.0 V versus Li⁺/Li on stainless steel electrode), and good interfacial stability with lithium metal. The test cell of Li/LiCoO₂ with the electrolyte membrane as separator also shows high-rate capability and excellent cycle performance. The polymer/colloid dual-phase electrolyte membrane shows promise for application in rechargeable lithium batteries.     

An Amphiphilic Molecule-Regulated Core-Shell-Solvation Electrolyte for Li-Metal Batteries at Ultra-Low Temperature

Lithium metal batteries hold great promise for promoting energy density and operating at low temperatures, yet they still suffer from insufficient Li compatibility and slow kinetic, especially at ultra-low temperatures. Herein, we rationally design and synthesize a new amphiphilic solvent, 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoro-3-methoxypropane, for use in battery electrolytes. The lithiophilic segment is readily to solvate Li⁺ to induce self-assembly of the electrolyte solution to form a peculiar core-shell-solvation structure. Such unique solvation structure not only largely improves the ionic conductivity to allow fast Li⁺ transport and lower the desolvation energy to enable facile desolvation, but also leads to the formation of a highly robust and conductive inorganic SEI. The resulting electrolyte demonstrates high Li efficiency and superior cycling stability from room temperature to −40 °C at high current densities. Meanwhile, anode-free high-voltage cell retains 87 % capacity after 100 cycles.     

A novel “inorganic salt-polymer salt” hybrid system as a solid state electrolyte

Poly{2-methacryloyl-3-[ω-methoxyoligo(oxyethylene)]propanesulfonate lithium} (PMMOEPLi), a new kind of polymer salt intended for “inorganic salt-polymer salt” hybrid systems, was synthesized. This polymer salt has high flexibility and high polarity. Upon addition of PMMOEPLi to LiClO₃ based electrolytes, ionic conductivities as high as 10⁻³ S/cm were obtained at ambient temperature. In the electrolyte studied Li⁺ dominates the conductivity, making this material a good candidate for application in lithium rechargeable batteries.     

Single Lithium‐Ion Conducting Polymer Electrolytes Based on a Super‐Delocalized Polyanion

A novel single lithium‐ion (Li‐ion) conducting polymer electrolyte is presented that is composed of the lithium salt of a polyanion, poly[(4‐styrenesulfonyl)(trifluoromethyl(S‐trifluoromethylsulfonylimino)sulfonyl)imide] (PSsTFSI^?), and high‐molecular‐weight poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO). The neat LiPSsTFSI ionomer displays a low glass‐transition temperature (44.3 °C; that is, strongly plasticizing effect). The complex of LiPSsTFSI/PEO exhibits a high Li‐ion transference number (t_Li⁺=0.91) and is thermally stable up to 300 °C. Meanwhile, it exhibits a Li‐ion conductivity as high as 1.35×10^?4 S cm^?1 at 90 °C, which is comparable to that for the classic ambipolar LiTFSI/PEO SPEs at the same temperature. These outstanding properties of the LiPSsTFSI/PEO blended polymer electrolyte would make it promising as solid polymer electrolytes for Li batteries.     

Enhanced Lithium‐Ion Conductivity of Polymer Electrolytes by Selective Introduction of Hydrogen into the Anion

The anion chemistry of lithium salts plays a pivotal role in dictating the physicochemical and electrochemical performance of solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs), thus affecting the cyclability of all‐solid‐state lithium metal batteries (ASSLMBs). The bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide anion (TFSI^?) has long been studied as the most promising candidate for SPEs; however, the Li‐ion conductivities of the TFSI‐based SPEs still remain low (Li‐ion transference number: ca. 0.2). In this work, we report new hydrogen‐containing anions, conceived based on theoretical considerations, as an electrolyte salt for SPEs. SPEs comprising hydrogen‐containing anions achieve higher Li‐ion conductivities than TFSI‐based ones, and those anions are electrochemically stable for various kinds of ASSLMBs (Li–LiFePO₄, Li–S, and Li–O₂ batteries). This opens up a new avenue for designing safe and high‐performance ASSLMBs in the future.     

Locally Concentrated Ionic Liquid Electrolytes Enabling Low-Temperature Lithium Metal Batteries

Lithium metal is a promising anode material for next-generation high-energy-density batteries but suffers from low stripping/plating Coulombic efficiency and dendritic growth particularly at sub-zero temperatures. Herein, a poorly-flammable, locally concentrated ionic liquid electrolyte with a wide liquidus range extending well below 0 °C is proposed for low-temperature lithium metal batteries. Its all-anion Li⁺ solvation and phase-nano-segregation solution structure are sustained at low temperatures, which, together with a solid electrolyte interphase rich in inorganic compounds, enable dendrite-free operation of lithium metal anodes at −20 °C and 0.5 mA cm⁻², with a Coulombic efficiency of 98.9 %. As a result, lithium metal batteries coupling thin lithium metal anodes (4 mAh cm⁻²) and high-loading LiNi_0.8Co_0.15Al_0.05O₂ cathodes (10 mg cm⁻²) retain 70 % of the initial capacity after 100 cycles at −20 °C. These results, as a proof of concept, demonstrate the applicability of locally concentrated ionic liquid electrolytes for low-temperature lithium metal batteries.     

Multiple Dynamic Bonds-Driven Integrated Cathode/Polymer Electrolyte for Stable All-Solid-State Lithium Metal Batteries

All-solid-state lithium metal batteries (LMBs) are considered as the promising higher-energy and improved-safety energy-storage systems. Nevertheless, the electrolyte-electrodes interfacial issues due to the limited solid physical contact lead to discontinuous interfacial charge transport and large interfacial resistance, thereby suffering from unsatisfactory electrochemical performance. Herein, we construct an integrated cathode/polymer electrolyte for all-solid-state LMBs under the action of polymer chains exchange and recombination originating from multiple dynamic bonds in our well-designed dynamic supramolecular ionic conductive elastomers (DSICE) molecular structure. The DSICE acts as polymer electrolytes with excellent electrochemical performance and mechanical properties, achieving the ultrathin pure polymer electrolyte thickness (12 μm). Notably, the DSICE also functions as lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO₄, LFP) cathode binders with enhanced adhesive capability. Such well-constructed Li|DSICE|LFP-DSICE cells generate delicate electrolyte-electrodes interfacial contact at the molecular level, providing continuous Li⁺ transport pathways and promoting uniform Li⁺ deposition, further delivering superior long-term charge/discharge stability (>600 cycles, Coulombic efficiency, >99.8 %) and high capacity retention (80 % after 400 cycles). More practically, the Li|DSICE|LFP-DSICE pouch cells show stable electrochemical performance, excellent flexibility and safety under abusive tests.     

Ordered and Fast Ion Transport of Quasi-solid-state Electrolyte with Regulated Coordination Strength for Lithium Metal Batteries

Polymer based quasi-solid-state electrolyte (QSE) has attracted great attention due to its assurance for high safety of rechargeable batteries including lithium metal batteries (LMB). However, it faces the issue of low ionic conductivity of electrolyte and solid-electrolyte-interface (SEI) layer between QSE and lithium anode. Herein, we firstly demonstrate that the ordered and fast transport of lithium ion (Li⁺) can be realized in QSE. Due to the higher coordination strength of Li⁺ on tertiary amine (−NR₃) group of polymer network than that on carbonyl (−C=O) group of ester solvent, Li⁺ can diffuse orderly and quickly on −NR₃ of polymer, significantly increasing the ionic conductivity of QSE to 3.69 mS cm⁻¹. Moreover, −NR₃ of polymer can induce in situ and uniform generation of Li₃N and LiN_xO_y in SEI. As a result, the Li||NCM811 batteries (50 μm Li foil) with this QSE show an excellent stability of 220 cycles at ≈1.5 mA cm⁻², 5 times to those with conventional QSE. LMBs with LiFePO₄ can stably run for ≈8300 h. This work demonstrates an attractive concept for improving ionic conductivity of QSE, and also provides an important step for developing advanced LMB with high cycle stability and safety.     

Polymer battery R&D in the U.S.

Polymer electrolytes that have been developed for battery applications fall into two general classes, neat or “pure” polymer and plasticized or gel in which the polymer is combined with a conducting organic electrolyte. The polyethylene oxide (PEO) and its modifications are typical of the “pure” polymer electrolytes. They have poor conductivity at room temperatures, but at elevated temperatures, their conductivity is of the order of 10⁻³ to 10⁻⁴ S/cm. The PEO electrolytes have found application in the high temperature (>60°C) lithium metal anode battery systems. The high temperature necessary for good operation makes them unsuitable for use in small consumer appliances. The polymer electrolyte battery development activities have resulted in several high performance battery systems now just entering the market. Not all of the developments have resulted in commercial cell production. The commercialization activities of high performance lithium‐ion (Li‐Ion) batteries have been based on two general plastic polymer systems: poly‐vinylidene difluoride‐hexafluoropropylene copolymer (PVdF‐HFP) and polyacrylates. The polymer cells are expected to have advantages in manufacturing, flexibility, thin cell formats and lightweight packaging. Important parameters in PVdF gel electrolyte performance include the electrolyte type (combination of organic carbonates), temperature, and HFP copolymer content. Li‐Ion coin cells fabricated with a polyolefin separator with either liquid electrolyte or with the PVdF gel polymer electrolyte have equivalent performance.     

Enabling the Operation of Highly Compatible LiI-3-Hydroxypropionitrile Small-Molecule Solid-State Electrolytes in Lithium Metal Batteries via Stepped-Amorphization Strategy

Integrating the advantages of both inorganic ceramic and organic polymer solid-state electrolytes, small-molecule solid-state electrolytes represented by LiI-3-hydroxypropionitrile (LiI-HPN) inorganic–organic hybrid systems possess good interfacial compatibility and high modulus. However, their lack of intrinsic Li⁺ conduction ability hinders potential application in lithium metal batteries until now, despite containing LiI phase composition. Herein, inspired by evolution tendency of ionic conduction behaviors together with first-principles molecular dynamics simulations, we propose a stepped-amorphization strategy to break the Li⁺ conduction bottleneck of LiI-HPN. It involves three progressive steps of composition (LiI-content increasing), time (long-time standing), and temperature (high-temperature melting) regulations, to essentially construct a small-molecule-based composite solid-state electrolyte with intensified amorphous degree, which realizes efficient conversion from an I⁻ to Li⁺ conductor and improved conductivity. As a proof, the stepped-optimized LiI-HPN is successfully operated in lithium metal batteries cooperated with Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ cathode to deliver considerable compatibility and stability over 250 cycles. This work not only clarifies the ionic conduction mechanisms of LiI-HPN inorganic–organic hybrid systems, but also provides a reasonable strategy to broaden the application scenarios of highly compatible small-molecule solid-state electrolytes.     

Regulating Interfacial Lithium Ion by Artificial Protective Overlayers for High-Performance Lithium Metal Anodes

The main limitation of lithium (Li) metal anodes lies in their severe dendrite growth due to nonuniform Li⁺ flux and sluggish Li⁺ transportation at the anode surface. Fabricating artificial protective overlayer with tunable surficial properties on Li metal is a precise and effective strategy to relieve this problem. In this Concept article, we focus on the basic principles of regulating interfacial Li⁺ through artificial protective overlayers and summarize the material preparation as well as structural design of these overlayers. The remaining challenges and promising directions of artificial protective overlayers are then highlighted to provide clues for the practical application of Li metal anodes.     

Unveiling the Critical Role of Ion Coordination Configuration of Ether Electrolytes for High Voltage Lithium Metal Batteries

Albeit ethers are favorable electrolyte solvents for lithium (Li) metal anode, their inferior oxidation stability (<4.0 V vs. Li/Li⁺) is problematic for high-voltage cathodes. Studies of ether electrolytes have been focusing on the archetype glyme structure with ethylene oxide moieties. Herein, we unveil the crucial effect of ion coordination configuration on oxidation stability by varying the ether backbone structure. The designed 1,3-dimethoxypropane (DMP, C3) forms a unique six-membered chelating complex with Li⁺, whose stronger solvating ability suppresses oxidation side reactions. In addition, the favored hydrogen transfer reaction between C3 and anion induces a dramatic enrichment of LiF (a total atomic ratio of 76.7 %) on the cathode surface. As a result, the C3-based electrolyte enables greatly improved cycling of nickel-rich cathodes under 4.7 V. This study offers fundamental insights into rational electrolyte design for developing high-energy-density batteries.     

Lithium garnet based free-standing solid polymer composite membrane for rechargeable lithium battery

Electrolytes with high lithium-ion conductivity, better mechanical strength and large electrochemical window are essential for the realization of high-energy density lithium batteries. Polymer electrolytes are gaining interest due to their inherent flexibility and nonflammability over conventional liquid electrolytes. In this work, lithium garnet composite polymer electrolyte membrane (GCPEM) consisting of large molecular weight (W_avg ~?5?×?10⁶) polyethylene oxide (PEO) complexed with lithium perchlorate (LiClO₄) and lithium garnet oxide Li_6.28Al_0.24La₃Zr₂O₁₂ (Al-LLZO) is prepared by solution-casting method. Significant improvement in Li⁺ conductivity for Al-LLZO containing GCPEM is observed compared with the Al-LLZO free polymer membrane. Maximized room temperature (30 °C) Li⁺ conductivity of 4.40?×?10^?4 S cm^?1 and wide electrochemical window (4.5 V) is observed for PEO₈/LiClO₄?+?20 wt% Al-LLZO (GCPEM-20) membrane. The fabricated cell with LiCoO₂ as cathode, metallic lithium as anode and GCPEM-20 as electrolyte membrane delivers an initial charge/discharge capacity of 146 mAh g^?1/142 mAh g^?1 at 25 °C with 0.06 C-rate.     

Electrochemical investigation of the chemical diffusion,partial ionic conductivities,and other kinetic parameters in Li3Sb and Li3Bi

The galvanostatic intermittent titration technique (GITT) has been used to electrochemically determine the chemical and component diffusion coefficients, the electrical and general lithium mobilities, the partial lithium ionic conductivity, the parabolic tarnishing rate constant, and the thermodynamic enhancement factor in “Li₃Sb” and “Li₃Bi” as a function of stoichiometry in the temperature range from 360 to 600°C. LiCl, KCl eutectic mixtures were used as molten salt electrolytes and Al, “LiAl” two-phase mixtures as solid reference and counterelectrodes. The stoichiometric range of the antimony compound is rather small, 7 × 10^?3 at 360°C, whereas the bismuth compound has a range of 0.22 (380°C), mostly on the lithium deficit side of the ideal composition. The thermodynamic enhancement factor in “Li₃Sb” depends strongly on the stoichiometry, and has a peak value of nearly 70 000; for “Li₃Bi” it rises more smoothly to a maximum of 360. The chemical diffusion coefficient for “Li₃Sb” is 2 × 10^?5 cm² sec^?1 at negative deviations from the ideal stoichiometry and increases by about an order of magnitude in the presence of excess lithium at 360°C. The corresponding value for “Li₃Bi” is 10^?4 cm² sec^?1 with high lithium deficit, and increases markedly when approaching ideal stoichiometry. The activation energies are small, 0.1–0.3 eV, depending on the stoichiometry, in both phases. The mobility of lithium in “Li₃Bi” is about 500 times greater than in “Li₃Sb” with a lithium deficit. The ionic conductivity in “Li₃Sb” increases from about 10^?4 Ω^?1 cm^?1 in the vacancy transport region to about 2 × 10^?3 where transport is probably by interstial motion at 360°C. For “Li₃Bi” a practically constant value of nearly 10^?1 Ω^?1 cm^?1 is found at 380°C. The parabolic tarnishing rate constant shows a sharp increase at higher lithium activities in “Li₃Sb” whereas in “Li₃Bi” it has a roughly linear dependence upon the logarithm of the lithium activity. The tarnishing process is about 2 orders of magnitude slower for “Li₃Sb” than for “Li₃Bi.” Because of the fast ionic transport in these mixed conducting materials, “Li₃Sb” and “Li₃Bi” may be called “fast electrodes.”     

The network gel polymer electrolyte based on poly(acrylate-co-imide) and its transport properties in lithium ion batteries

Poly (acrylate-co-imide)-based gel polymer electrolytes are synthesized by in situ free radical polymerization. Infrared spectroscopy confirms the complete polymerization of gel polymer electrolytes. The ionic conductivity of gel polymer electrolytes are measured as a function of different repeating EO units of polyacrylates. An optimal ionic conductivity of the poly (PEGMEMA₁₁₀₀-BMI) gel polymer electrolyte is determined to be 4.8 × 10^–3 S/cm at 25 °C. The lithium transference number is found to be 0.29. The cyclic voltammogram shows that the wide electrochemical stability window of the gel polymer electrolyte varies from −0.5 to 4.20 V (vs. Li/Li⁺). Furthermore, we found the transport properties of novel gel polymer electrolytes are dependent on the EO design and are also related to the rate capability and the cycling ability of lithium polymer batteries. The relationship between polymer electrolyte design, lithium transport properties and battery performance are investigated in this research.     

Anion-tethered Single Lithium-ion Conducting Polyelectrolytes through UV-induced Free Radical Polymerization for Improved Morphological Stability of Lithium Metal Anodes

Single Li⁺ ion conducting polyelectrolytes (SICs), which feature covalently tethered counter-anions along their backbone, have the potential to mitigate dendrite formation by reducing concentration polarization and preventing salt depletion. However, due to their low ionic conductivity and complicated synthetic procedure, the successful validation of these claimed advantages in lithium metal (Li⁰) anode batteries remains limited. In this study, we fabricated a SIC electrolyte using a single-step UV polymerization approach. The resulting electrolyte exhibited a high Li⁺ transference number (t₊) of 0.85 and demonstrated good Li⁺ conductivity (6.3×10⁻⁵ S/cm at room temperature), which is comparable to that of a benchmark dual ion conductor (DIC, 9.1×10⁻⁵ S/cm). Benefitting from the high transference number of SIC, it displayed a three-fold higher critical current density (2.4 mA/cm²) compared to DIC (0.8 mA/cm²) by successfully suppressing concentration polarization-induced short-circuiting. Additionally, the t₊ significantly influenced the deposition behavior of Li⁰, with SIC yielding a uniform, compact, and mosaic-like morphology, while the low t₊ DIC resulted in a porous morphology with Li⁰ whiskers. Using the SIC electrolyte, Li⁰||LiFePO₄ cells exhibited stable operation for 4500 cycles with 70.5 % capacity retention at 22 °C.     

Armor-like Inorganic-rich Cathode Electrolyte Interphase Enabled by the Pentafluorophenylboronic Acid Additive for High-voltage Li||NCM622 Batteries

Lithium metal batteries (LMBs) comprising Li metal anode and high-voltage nickel-rich cathode could potentially realize high capacity and power density. However, suitable electrolytes to tolerate the oxidation on the cathode at high cut-off voltage are urgently needed. Herein, we present an armor-like inorganic-rich cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI) strategy for exploring oxidation-resistant electrolytes for sustaining 4.8 V Li||LiNi_0.6Co_0.2Mn_0.2O₂ (NCM622) batteries with pentafluorophenylboronic acid (PFPBA) as the additive. In such CEI, the armored lithium borate surrounded by CEI up-layer represses the dissolution of inner CEI moieties and also improves the Li⁺ conductivity of CEI while abundant LiF is distributed over whole CEI to enhance the mechanical stability and Li⁺ conductivity compared with polymer moieties. With such robust Li⁺ conductive CEI, the Li||NCM622 battery delivered excellent stability at 4.6 V cut-off voltage with 91.2 % capacity retention after 400 cycles. The excellent cycling performance was also obtained even at 4.8 V cut-off voltage.     

Enhanced Surface Interactions Enable Fast Li+ Conduction in Oxide/Polymer Composite Electrolyte

Li⁺‐conducting oxides are considered better ceramic fillers than Li⁺‐insulating oxides for improving Li⁺ conductivity in composite polymer electrolytes owing to their ability to conduct Li⁺ through the ceramic oxide as well as across the oxide/polymer interface. Here we use two Li⁺‐insulating oxides (fluorite Gd_0.1Ce_0.9O_1.95 and perovskite La_0.8Sr_0.2Ga_0.8Mg_0.2O_2.55) with a high concentration of oxygen vacancies to demonstrate two oxide/poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)‐based polymer composite electrolytes, each with a Li⁺ conductivity above 10^?4 S cm^?1 at 30 °C. Li solid‐state NMR results show an increase in Li⁺ ions (>10 %) occupying the more mobile A2 environment in the composite electrolytes. This increase in A2‐site occupancy originates from the strong interaction between the O^2? of Li‐salt anion and the surface oxygen vacancies of each oxide and contributes to the more facile Li⁺ transport. All‐solid‐state Li‐metal cells with these composite electrolytes demonstrate a small interfacial resistance with good cycling performance at 35 °C.