Electro-Spun PAN/Silica-Li Composite Gel Electrolytes for Advanced Lithium-Ion Batteries

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) offer a promising balance between the safety of solid electrolytes and the conductivity of liquid electrolytes.
• Developing GPEs with high ionic conductivity, electrochemical stability, and mechanical integrity is crucial for advanced lithium-ion batteries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and fabricate a polymer/ceramics composite gel electrolyte (PAN/SiO2-Li) for enhanced lithium-ion battery performance.
• To investigate the electrochemical properties, thermal stability, and lithium dendrite suppression capabilities of the developed GPE.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a nanofiber membrane via electrospinning polyacrylonitrile and lithium-salt-grafted helical mesoporous silica nanoparticles.
• Absorption of a plasticizer into the nanofiber membrane to form the composite gel electrolyte film.
• Characterization of ionic conductivity, electrochemical window, thermal stability, and lithium-ion transference number.

Main Results:

• The PAN/SiO2-Li gel electrolyte exhibited high thermal stability and a wide electrochemical window (>5.3 V vs. Li/Li+).
• Achieved high room-temperature ionic conductivity of approximately 4.4 × 10-3 S cm-1 and a lithium-ion transference number of 0.72.
• Demonstrated suppression of lithium dendrite growth and stable lithium deposition/stripping in symmetric Li||Li cells.

Conclusions:

• The developed polymer/ceramics composite gel electrolyte offers enhanced safety and performance for lithium-ion batteries.
• This study presents a practical strategy for designing advanced GPEs by integrating ceramic nanoparticles into polymer matrices.
• The findings support the potential of this GPE for next-generation energy storage applications.