Anionic Anchoring Enhanced Quasi Solid Composite Polymer Electrolytes for High Performance Lithium Metal Battery.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Solid polymer electrolytes are crucial for safer lithium-ion batteries.
• Developing electrolytes with high ionic conductivity and stability remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prepare and optimize ZIF-8 reinforced PVDF-HFP solid composite polymer electrolytes.
• To investigate the electrochemical performance and dendrite inhibition properties of the developed electrolytes.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of poly (vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) solid composite polymer electrolytes reinforced with ZIF-8 inorganic particles via blade-coating.
• Introduction of a plasticizer to form quasi solid-state composite electrolytes (PH/10%ZIF-8(0.6)/P).
• Characterization of ionic conductivity, Li+ transfer number, and electrochemical performance in Li/LiFePO4 cells.

Main Results:

• Optimized PH/10%ZIF-8(0.6)/P exhibited high ionic conductivity (2.8 × 10^-4 S cm^-1 at 30 °C) and a superior Li+ transfer number (0.89).
• The ultrathin electrolyte (26 µm) effectively inhibited lithium dendrite growth.
• The assembled Li/LiFePO4 cell showed good cycling stability with 89.1% capacity retention after 100 cycles at 0.5 C.

Conclusions:

• The developed ZIF-8 reinforced PVDF-HFP quasi solid-state electrolytes offer a promising pathway for high-performance and safe lithium-ion batteries.
• The combination of ZIF-8 particles and plasticizer enhances ionic conductivity and mechanical stability, suppressing dendrite formation.
• These electrolytes demonstrate potential for next-generation energy storage devices.