Strong and Flexible Composite Solid Polymer Electrolyte Membranes for Li-Ion Batteries

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) often suffer from poor mechanical strength.
• Developing robust and flexible electrolytes is crucial for advanced battery technologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a composite solid polymer electrolyte (CSPE) with improved mechanical properties.
• To evaluate the electrochemical performance of CSPE in lithium-ion battery applications.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of CSPE using poly(ethyleneglycol)diacrylate, lithium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonamide, succinonitrile, and syndiotactic polystyrene membranes.
• Characterization using differential scanning calorimetry and wide-angle X-ray diffraction.
• Testing in Li-ion battery half cells with lithium iron phosphate.

Main Results:

• CSPE exhibited a 6-fold increase in tensile strength compared to SPE.
• Achieved high room-temperature ionic conductivity of ~0.43 mS/cm.
• Expanded the electrochemical window to 5 V in Li-ion battery half cells.

Conclusions:

• CSPE offers enhanced mechanical robustness and flexibility.
• The material demonstrates significant potential for flexible rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.
• CSPE represents a promising advancement in solid-state electrolyte development.