In situ generated of hybrid interface in poly(1,3-dioxolane) quasi solid electrolyte and extended sulfone cosolvent for lithium-metal batteries

Abstract

The practical application of lithium metal batteries with high energy density are difficult to apply due to the problem of uncontrolled lithium dendrite growth with commercial liquid electrolytes. Herein, we designed a poly 1,3-dioxolane (PDOL) based quasi solid polymer electrolyte with in-situ polymerization. A small amount of lithium difluoro(oxalato)borate (LiDFOB) provides cationic initiation center for the polymerization of dioxolane (DOL). Sulfolane (SL) were further introduced into the system as a cosolvent and the ionic conductivity was increased to 3.22 × 10-4 S cm-1followed with a high Li+ transfer number of 0.73 at room temperature. Trace amount of SbF3 was introduced to form a robustness inorganic-rich hybrid interface that reduces the decomposition of electrolyte components and retards the formation of lithium dendrites during cycling. The superior rate performance and stable 5C long cycle performance are obtained in LiFePO4||Li full cell owing to the interaction between Li+, SL and PDOL. This work expands the choice of components in quasi solid electrolytes to manufacture qualified LMBs with enhanced performance.