Zeolite β-Hydrogen Composite Polymer Electrolyte for Enhanced Lithium Anode Performance.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) face challenges like unstable interfaces with lithium anodes and low ionic conductivity, hindering their use in all-solid-state lithium metal batteries (ALMBs).
• Polyethylene oxide (PEO)-based SPEs are particularly limited by these issues.
• Composite polymer electrolytes (CPEs) offer a potential solution by incorporating fillers to improve properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a composite polymer electrolyte (CPE) using zeolite filler to overcome the limitations of traditional SPEs for ALMBs.
• To investigate the electrochemical properties and anode compatibility of the synthesized CPE.
• To assess the potential of the new CPE for high-performance and durable ALMBs.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of a composite polymer electrolyte (CPE) incorporating zeolite β-hydrogen (H-BEA) filler, termed CPE-H.
• Measurement of ionic conductivity and Li-ion transference number of CPE-H at 60°C.
• Galvanostatic lithium plating and stripping (GLPS) tests at various current densities to evaluate overpotential and cycling stability.

Main Results:

• CPE-H exhibited an ionic conductivity of approximately 4.37 × 10^-4 S cm^-1 at 60°C.
• A Li-ion transference number of approximately 0.62 was achieved with CPE-H.
• Low overpotentials (8-58 mV) were observed across current densities from 50 to 300 µA cm^-2, with excellent Li anode compatibility over 2000 hours at 100 µA cm^-2.

Conclusions:

• The synthesized CPE-H demonstrates significantly improved ionic conductivity and Li-ion transference number compared to conventional SPEs.
• CPE-H exhibits excellent stability and compatibility with Li anodes, as evidenced by low overpotentials and long-term cycling performance.
• This zeolite-filled CPE holds considerable promise for the development of high-performance and durable all-solid-state lithium metal batteries.