High-Performance Ionic Liquid-Based Gel Polymer Electrolyte Incorporating Anion-Trapping Boron Sites for...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Development of stable and high-performance electrolytes is crucial for next-generation energy storage devices.
• Gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) offer advantages over liquid electrolytes but often face challenges in ionic conductivity and mechanical stability.
• Boron-containing compounds show promise for enhancing electrolyte properties due to their unique chemical characteristics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize a high-performance boron-containing gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) with a semi-interpenetrating polymer network structure.
• To investigate the electrochemical performance and stability of the as-prepared GPE for application in all-solid-state supercapacitors.
• To evaluate the performance of supercapacitors utilizing the novel GPE and reduced graphene oxide electrodes.

Main Methods:

• One-step UV-assisted polymerization of poly(ethylene oxide) with a novel borate ester monomer.
• Incorporation of LiClO4 and EMIMBF4 as plasticizers and electrolytic salts.
• Fabrication and electrochemical testing of all-solid-state symmetric supercapacitors using the boron-containing GPE (B-GPE) and reduced graphene oxide electrodes.

Main Results:

• The B-GPE achieved an ionic conductivity of 5.13 mS cm⁻¹ at room temperature due to anion-trapping boron sites.
• The B-GPE demonstrated favorable mechanical strength, excellent thermal stability, and low flammability.
• Supercapacitors exhibited a broad potential window of 3.2 V, high energy density (27.62 W h kg⁻¹), and excellent cycling stability (91.2% retention after 5000 cycles).

Conclusions:

• The developed boron-containing GPE offers a promising alternative for safe and high-performance solid-state electrolytes.
• The unique properties of the B-GPE enable the fabrication of efficient and durable all-solid-state supercapacitors.
• This research contributes to the advancement of safer and more effective energy storage technologies.