Characterization of solid electrolytes prepared from ionic glass and ionic liquid for all-solid-state lithium batteries

Glassy solid electrolytes were prepared by combining the 50Li₂SO₄·50Li₃BO₃ (mol%) ionic glass and the 1-ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMI]BF₄) ionic liquid. High-energy ball milling was carried out for the mixture of the inorganic ionic glass and the organic ionic liquid. The ambient temperature conductivity of the glass electrolyte with 10 mol% EMI]BF₄ was 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹, which was three orders of magnitude higher than that of the 50Li₂SO₄·50Li₃BO₃ glass. The addition of EMI]BF₄ to the ionic glass decreased glass transition temperature (T_g) of the glass and the decrease of T_g is closely related to the enhancement of conductivity of the glass. Morphology and local structure of the glass electrolyte was characterized. The dissolution of an ionic liquid in an ionic glass with Li⁺ ion conductivity is a novel way to developing glass electrolytes for all-solid-state lithium secondary batteries.