Preparation and performance of the polyethylene-supported polyvinylidene fluoride/cellulose acetate butyrate/nano-SiO2 particles blended gel polymer electrolyte

Abstract

The preparation of polyethylene-supported poly(vinylidene fluoride)/cellulose acetate butyrate/nano-SiO2 particle (PVDF-CAB-SiO2/PE) blended gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) is reported here. The electrolyte uptake, mechanical properties, thermal stability, and electrochemical performance of these electrolytes are characterized to evaluate their potential application in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The results indicate that the particle size of SiO2 can be adjusted by the tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) concentration and affects the physicochemical properties of the membrane. By doping 5 wt.% SiO2 (500 nm) into the PVdF-CAB blended polymer, the porosity of the membrane increases from 40 to 42.3 %, the mechanical strength from 117.3 to 138.7 MPa, the electrolyte uptake from 149 to 195 %, the oxidation decomposition potential from 4.7 to 5.2 V, and the ionic conductivity of the corresponding GPE is improved from 1.16 to 2.98 mS cm−1 at ambient temperature. The PVDF-CAB-SiO2/PE-based GPE and the two electrodes are suitably compatible, and the thermal stability is higher than that of the polyethylene (PE) membrane. The LIBs with the as-prepared GPE also exhibit enhanced discharge capacity and cycle stability, indicating the promising application of these GPEs in LIBs.