Recent Progress on In Situ Polymerized Electrolytes for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Conventional organic liquid electrolytes in rechargeable lithium batteries pose significant safety risks, including flammability and explosion.
• Poor solid/solid interfacial contact in polymer electrolytes (PEs) prepared via solution-casting or blade-casting leads to high impedance and reduced cell performance.
• There is an urgent need for high-safety polymer electrolytes (PEs) to overcome the limitations of liquid electrolytes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive review of in situ polymerization processes for creating high-safety polymer electrolytes (PEs).
• To analyze various in situ polymerization techniques, including free-radical and ion-initiated polymerization.
• To discuss the materials involved, such as backbone materials, monomers, lithium salts, and initiators, for optimizing PEs.

Main Methods:

• Review of literature on in situ polymerization strategies for polymer electrolytes (PEs).
• Analysis of free-radical polymerization and ion-initiated polymerization techniques.
• Examination of different material components (backbone, monomers, salts, initiators) used in in situ polymerization.

Main Results:

• In situ polymerization significantly improves interfacial contact between PEs and electrodes, reducing interfacial resistance.
• This method enhances lithium-ion transport, leading to better cell performance and safety.
• Optimization of in situ polymerization processes and materials can lead to improved safety and interface stability.

Conclusions:

• In situ polymerization is a highly advantageous strategy for fabricating polymer electrolytes (PEs) with excellent interfacial properties for high-safety lithium batteries.
• Further optimization of in situ polymerized electrolytes holds promise for advancing the safety and performance of future lithium battery technologies.
• Addressing current challenges and exploring future development trends in in situ polymerized electrolytes is crucial for next-generation energy storage.