Bacteria cellulose framework-supported solid composite polymer electrolytes for ambient-temperature lithium metal...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Solid-state batteries (SSBs) require high-safety electrolytes.
• Composite polymer electrolytes (CPEs) are crucial for practical SSBs.
• Achieving high room temperature ionic conductivity in CPEs remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a flexible, mechanically robust CPE film for high-safety SSBs.
• To enhance the ionic conductivity of polymer electrolytes.
• To investigate the electrochemical performance of the developed CPE in SSBs.

Main Methods:

• Preparation of a flexible polymer-polymer CPE thin film using an in situ photo-polymerization method.
• Utilizing a 3D bacterial cellulose (BC) framework as a supporting matrix.
• Characterization of ionic conductivity and electrochemical performance in Li∣BC-CPE∣Li symmetric and LCO∣BC-CPE∣Li full cells.

Main Results:

• The BC-CPE film exhibited a high room temperature ionic conductivity of 1.3 × 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹.
• The Li∣BC-CPE∣Li symmetric cell showed stable cycling for over 1200 hours.
• The LCO∣BC-CPE∣Li full cell achieved an initial discharge capacity of 128.7 mAh g⁻¹ with 82.6% retention after 150 cycles at 0.2 C.

Conclusions:

• The bacterial cellulose-reinforced composite polymer electrolyte (BC-CPE) offers a promising solution for high-safety solid-state batteries.
• The developed material demonstrates excellent flexibility, mechanical strength, and electrochemical performance.
• This approach provides a sustainable route for manufacturing advanced solid-state batteries using abundant natural biomaterials.