Composite Quasi-Solid-State Electrolytes with Organic-Inorganic Interface Engineering for Fast Ion Transport in Dendrite-Free Sodium Metal Batteries.

Abstract

Quasi-solid-state electrolytes (QSSE) are a promising candidate for addressing the limitations of liquid and solid electrolytes. However, different ion transport capacities between liquid solvents and polymers can cause localized heterogeneous distribution of Na+ fluxes. In addition, the continuous side reactions occurring at the interface between QSSE and sodium anode lead to uncontrollable dendrites growth. Herein, a novel strategy is designed to integrate the composite electrospun membrane of Na3Zr2Si2PO12 and poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) into QSSE, aiming to introduce new fast ion conducting channels at the organic-inorganic interface. The efficient ion transfer pathways can effectively promote the homogenization of ion migration, enabling composite QSSE to achieve an ultrahigh ionic conductivity of 4.1 mS cm-1 at room temperature, with a Na+ transference number as high as 0.54. Moreover, the PVDF-HFP is preferentially reduced upon contact with the sodium anode to form a "NaF-rich" solid electrolyte interphase, which effectively suppresses the growth of dendrites. The synergistic combination of multiple strategies can realize exceptional long-term cycling stability in both sodium symmetric batteries (≈700h) and full batteries (2100 cycles). This study provides a new insight for constructing high performance and dendrite-free solid-state sodium metal batteries.