Design of High-Entropy Tape Electrolytes for Compression-Free Solid-State Batteries

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Solid-state batteries require advanced solid electrolytes with robust adhesion to ensure component contact.
• Traditional solid electrolytes necessitate high compression due to poor adhesion, complicating battery design and manufacturing.
• Interface challenges remain a significant hurdle in the development and commercialization of solid-state batteries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel high-entropy tape electrolyte (HETE) concept for solid-state batteries.
• To achieve tape-like adhesion, liquid-like ion conduction, and separator-like mechanical properties simultaneously.
• To demonstrate a compression-free solid-state battery utilizing the HETE.

Main Methods:

• Design of a HETE with adhesive skin layers and a robust skeleton layer.
• Engineering high-entropy microstructures through polymer-ion interactions.
• Characterization of ionic conductivity, mechanical properties, and interfacial adhesion.
• Fabrication and testing of a compression-free solid-state tape battery.

Main Results:

• The HETE exhibited high ionic conductivity (3.50 ± 0.53 × 10^-4 S cm^-1) at room temperature.
• Excellent mechanical properties were achieved, including toughness (11.28 ± 1.12 MJ m^-3) and strength (8.18 ± 0.28 MPa).
• Remarkable tape-like adhesion was demonstrated (interfacial toughness 231.6 ± 9.6 J m^-2).

Conclusions:

• The HETE concept successfully integrates adhesion, ion conduction, and mechanical robustness.
• A compression-free solid-state tape battery was successfully demonstrated, showing stability under bending and twisting.
• The HETE offers a promising solution for overcoming interface challenges in solid-state battery technology and manufacturing.