Deep-Eutectic-Solvent-Based Self-Healing Polymer Electrolyte for Safe and Long-Life Lithium-Metal Batteries

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Lithium-metal batteries offer high energy density but face challenges from lithium dendrite growth and flammable liquid electrolytes.
• These issues limit their practical deployment and raise safety concerns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a stable, quasi-solid-state lithium-metal battery with improved safety and performance.
• To address dendrite formation and electrolyte flammability using a novel electrolyte design.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a deep eutectic solvent (DES)-based self-healing polymer (DSP) electrolyte via in situ copolymerization of UPyMA and PETEA monomers.
• Incorporation of fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) as an additive in the DES-based electrolyte.
• Testing the DSP electrolyte in lithium-metal batteries with a LiMn2O4 cathode.

Main Results:

• The DSP electrolyte demonstrated non-flammability, high ionic conductivity, and excellent electrochemical stability.
• The electrolyte enabled dendrite-free lithium plating and effectively suppressed manganese dissolution from the cathode.
• The resulting lithium-metal batteries exhibited high capacity and long lifespan at various temperatures.

Conclusions:

• The developed DES-based self-healing polymer electrolyte is a promising candidate for safe and high-performance quasi-solid-state lithium-metal batteries.
• This electrolyte design overcomes key limitations of traditional lithium-metal batteries, paving the way for advanced energy storage solutions.