Cellulose-Assisted Vertically Heterostructured PEO-Based Solid Electrolytes Mitigating Li-Succinonitrile Corrosion...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Solid-state lithium metal batteries (SSLMBs) require stable solid electrolytes for efficient performance.
• Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-based electrolytes offer good properties but face challenges with lithium metal anodes.
• Succinonitrile (SN) enhances PEO electrolytes but is unstable against lithium metal.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a stable and effective solid electrolyte for SSLMBs.
• To address the instability of succinonitrile (SN) when used with lithium metal anodes.
• To improve interfacial contact between solid electrolytes and battery electrodes.

Main Methods:

• Creation of vertically heterostructured poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-based solid electrolytes.
• Incorporation of cellulose membrane (CM) into PEO-SN solid electrolytes.
• In situ preparation of Li||LiFePO4 batteries with the novel electrolyte.

Main Results:

• Cellulose membrane effectively limited succinonitrile migration to the lithium anode.
• Formation of a stable and durable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer.
• Li||LiFePO4 batteries demonstrated high capacity retention (95% after 500 cycles at 0.5 C).

Conclusions:

• Cellulose membranes offer a solution to stabilize PEO-SN solid electrolytes against lithium metal anodes.
• The developed electrolyte facilitates intimate contact with both cathode and anode.
• This approach enhances the long-term stability and performance of SSLMBs.