Hybrid Gel Polymer Electrolyte Research Articles

Internally Connected Porous Polymer Electrolyte Membrane for Long-Lasting Flexible Zinc-Air Batteries

The market of various wearable devices is rapidly growing in the recent. Accordingly, a light, safe, and flexible power source is also required to operate. The lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are optimized for portable devices and can be miniaturized, but they are vulnerable due to the use of organic electrolytes and have limited theoretical energy density. The zinc-air battery (ZAB), as a next-generation battery, have garnered attention for its specific energy density (~1350 Wh/kg) and price competitiveness compared to the LIB. In particular, the use of an aqueous-based polymer electrolyte can provide safety and flexibility, making it a promising energy source for wearable devices. However, the open cathode structure of ZABs for breathing air as an active material leads to gradual loss of liquid components in the polymer electrolyte, resulting in decreased performance.Herein, we developed a porous hybrid polymer membrane to overcome the aforementioned issues by means of the introduction of superabsorbent polymer (SAP) and the formation of internal network design of the membrane. First, a polyacrylic acid (PAA), one of the SAP, based fibrous network was constructed through an electrospinning process. Second, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as an ion conductive polymer was cast on the PAA framework, and subsequently impregnated with KOH electrolyte to form a gel-polymer electrolyte (GPE). Interestingly, the sacrificial PAA framework forms internal pores along with the fiber network, which can act as water pockets affording fast ionic conduction through the membranes and providing a higher electrolyte retention effect. As a result, the hybrid GPE had approximately three times higher ionic conductivity compared to pure PVA and better retention, resulting in outstanding electrochemical performance and cycle-life of the ZAB cell. We believe that our unique design approach for GPE can accelerate the commercialization of flexible ZABs and extend the market of wearable devices. Figure 1

Evaluation on electrochemical properties of lithium-ion battery–based PMMA-PLA blend incorporation of [EDIMP] TFSI hybrid gel polymer electrolyte

Evaluation on electrochemical properties of lithium-ion battery–based PMMA-PLA blend incorporation of [EDIMP] TFSI hybrid gel polymer electrolyte

Influencing of [EDIMP]TFSI in PMMA-PLA doped LiTFSI based hybrid gel polymer electrolyte on the variation in crystallinity phase and ionic conduction properties

In this study, we explored hybrid polymer complex-based gel polymer electrolytes (HGPEs) comprising poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and polylactic acid (PLA) as host polymers doped with LiTFSI, incorporating varying amounts of the ionic liquid ethyl-dimethyl-propylammonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([EDIMP]TFSI). The structural properties of HGPEs has been assessed using FTIR, XRD, and DSC, observing changes in peak intensity, increased amorphous phases, and lowered glass transition temperatures (Tg) as [EDIMP]TFSI content increased. The room temperature ionic conductivity improved from 1.02 × 10−3 S cm−1 to 3.90 × 10−3 S cm−1 with [EDIMP]TFSI incorporation. The permittivity spectra were showed to follow the non-Debye characteristic. The Arof-Noor (A-N) method determined ionic mobility, charge carrier concentration, and diffusion coefficient to understand factors influencing ionic conductivity variation. The reduced interfacial resistance between HGPE and lithium metal enhanced contact with the electrode. Sample E-TFSI 20 reveals the tLi+ and electrochemical potential window were respectively 0.79 ± 0.005 and 5 ± 0.5 V.

In-situ construction of cellulose acetate propionate-based hybrid gel polymer electrolyte for high-performance lithium metal batteries

Quasi-solid-state gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) have a great deal of promise for usage in future energy systems due to their high safety. However, ex-situ prepared GPEs still suffer from interfacial incompatibility. Herein, to create stable electrolyte-electrode interfaces and ensure adequate contact, a novel GPE was prepared by in-situ polymerization using pentaerythritol tetraacrylate (PETEA) and cellulose acetate propionate (CAP) as raw materials. PETEA and CAP with a certain mass ratio were added into liquid electrolyte, and the in-situ polymerization of PETEA and CAP was initiated by azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN). The multi-side chain structure of PETEA and the hydrogen bonding interaction between PETEA and CAP contributed to a robust cross-linked framework, while CAP improved Li+ transport through its polar oxygen-containing groups. The obtained GPE 1:1 exhibited high ionic conductivity (1.03 ×10−3 S/cm at 25 ℃), superior Li+ transference number (0.73), and good stability to Li metal. Meanwhile, a stable SEI film with rich LiF was established, ensuring a long-term cycling lifespan. After 500 cycles at 1 C, the assembled LiFePO4/GPE 1:1/Li cell revealed a high capacity retention of 90.6%. These results provide a guideline for the future design of novel cellulose-based GPEs for high performance lithium metal batteries.

A Cellulose/Polyethylene Oxide Gel Polymer Electrolyte with Enhanced Mechanical Strength and High Ionic Conductivity for Lithium‐Ion Batteries

AbstractPolyethylene oxide (PEO) gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) is a promising electrolyte for rechargeable lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). However, they still suffer from weak mechanical properties and low ionic conductivity. Herein, a novel hybrid GPE with enhanced mechanical properties and superior ionic conductivity is developed by introducing regenerated cellulose (RC) into PEO. Benefiting from the 3D porous interconnected network structure of cellulose aerogels, the obtained PEO‐RC GPEs exhibit improved mechanical strength (up to 40 MPa), increased electrolyte absorption ability, excellent ionic conductivity (4.34 × 10−3 S cm−1), and remarkable Li‐ion transfer number (0.60). As a result, a rechargeable LIB assembled with LiFePO4/GPEs/Li demonstrates a high initial discharge capacity of 149.3 mAh g−1 at 0.2 C and an impressive capacity of 141.3 mAh g−1 (94.6% capacity retention) after 100 cycles. This work provides a new route to the design and synthesis of novel GPEs toward next‐generation safe rechargeable LIBs.

Highly stretchable and conductive hybrid gel polymer electrolytes enabled by a dual cross-linking approach

Highly stretchable and conductive hybrid gel polymer electrolytes enabled by a dual cross-linking approach

Effect EMIMCl on electrochemical properties based PMMA-PLA hybrid gel polymer electrolyte

The formulation of a hybrid gel polymer electrolyte (HGPE) system comprising of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and polylactic acid (PLA) as a hybrid host polymer doped with lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) has been successfully prepared in this study with the introduction of an ionic liquid, namely 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (EMIMCl). Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to investigate the structural features of HGPEs. The FTIR analysis revealed that the complexation changes the peak intensity at region C = O stretching, CH2 bending, and C-O stretching. Meanwhile, XRD showed that the addition of EMIMCl altered the HGPE properties and formed an amorphous structure. The prepared HGPE sample was examined for ionic conduction properties through electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). It shows that by adding an EMIMCl to the PMMA-PLA-LiTFSI HGPE has decreased the activation energy (Ea ) and increased the ionic conductivity. The sample containing 15 wt.% has the lowest Ea value of 0.057 eV and the highest ionic conductivity at room temperature of 3.20 10−3 S cm−1. The itemperature dependence was studied in the temperature range from 303 K to 393 K, the HGPE systems were found to follow Arrhenius behavior. The effect of EMIMCl content had decreased the viscosity of HGPEs which led to the gel-like type behavior. The potential windows stability analysis revealed that the highest conducting sample was electrochemically stable up to 3.3 V versus Li/Li+, thus showing that the present electrolytes are promising to be applied as in Li-ions battery.

Ionic transport study of hybrid gel polymer electrolyte based on PMMA-PLA incorporated with ionic liquid

Hybrid gel polymer electrolytes (HGPEs) based on polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)-polylactic acid (PLA) doped with LiTFSI and incorporated with 1-butyl-3-methylimidozalium chloride (BmimCl) were successfully prepared. The complexes of the HGPEs with different BmimCl contents were characterized via Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Based on the impedance spectroscopy analysis, the HGPEs with the composition of 80% PMMA:20% PLA:20 wt.% LiTFSI:15 wt.% BmimCl possessed the highest room-temperature ionic conductivity of 1.63 × 10−3 S cm−1. The Arof-Noor (A-N) method was applied to investigate its transport properties, and it was found that the diffusion coefficient, D, ionic mobility, µ, and number density of ions, ɳ, were the main contributors of ionic conductivity improvement. Meanwhile, the highest conducting electrolyte lithium ion transference number was 0.67. Linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) analysis showed that the electrochemical stability window of the HGPE was 3.4 V vs Li/Li+. The findings suggest that the HGPE system incorporated with this ionic liquid could be a promising candidate for use as an electrolyte in flexible lithium-ion batteries.

Electrical conduction of PMMA/PLA doped lithium bis(oxalato) borate based hybrid gel polymer electrolyte

The present work highlights the investigation of electrical conduction properties of gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) based poly(methyl) methacrylate (PMMA) and poly(lactic) acid (PLA) blend doped with various compositions of lithium bis(oxalato) borate. The impedance analysis revealed the GPE systems exhibit maximum ionic conductivity of 1.37 × 10−3 S cm−1 for sample PLi20. The electrical properties based on the dielectric permittivity of entire samples decreased with increasing frequency and followed the trend of ionic conductivity. Further analysis was carried out to determine the dielectric response at different temperatures, focusing on the most conducting sample (PLi20). Both dielectric constant and loss increase with the increasing temperature, which suggested that total polarization has occurred. In conclusion, the samples with 20 wt% composition of LiBOB exhibit the highest conducting properties which significantly provides good electrical performance for the application in energy storage devices.

Sonochemically synthesized cobalt oxide nanoparticles as an additive for natural polymer iodide electrolyte based dye-sensitized solar cells

Hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC)-based gel polymer electrolytes with different alkali metal iodide salts (potassium iodide, KI; sodium iodide, NaI; and lithium iodide, LiI) were investigated. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used to examine the electrochemical properties of the electrolytes. The electrolyte containing KI salt (KI sample) has the highest ionic conductivity. The trend of conductivity of the samples developed as follows, KI > NaI > LiI. A hybrid gel polymer electrolyte (HGPE) was developed to further enhance the property by incorporating sonochemically synthesized cobalt oxide (Co3O4) nanoparticles into the KI sample. The nanoparticles were studied by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). HGPEs containing various amounts of synthesized Co3O4 nanoparticles were examined with EIS, XRD, and Linear Sweep Voltammetry (LSV). The introduction of Co3O4 nanoparticles has improved the ionic conductivity, reduced activation energy and degree of crystallinity of the HGPEs. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) assembled with the developed HGPEs have shown an improvement in short-circuit current density and efficiency. HGPE containing 7 wt% of Co3O4 nanoparticles achieved the best ionic conductivity and photovoltaic performance of DSSC of 8.02 mS cm−1 and 5.8%, respectively.

Correlation Studies Between Structural and Ionic Transport Properties of Lithium-Ion Hybrid Gel Polymer Electrolytes Based PMMA-PLA

Correlation Studies Between Structural and Ionic Transport Properties of Lithium-Ion Hybrid Gel Polymer Electrolytes Based PMMA-PLA

A hybrid lithium sulfonated polyoxadiazole derived single-ion conducting gel polymer electrolyte enabled effective suppression of dendritic lithium growth

Lithium metal is deemed as an ideal anode material in lithium-ion batteries because of its ultrahigh theoretical specific capacity and the lowest redox potential. However, the rapid capacity attenuation and inferior security resulting from the dendritic lithium growth severely limit its commercialization. Herein a novel hybrid gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) based on electrospun lithium sulfonated polyoxadiazole (Li-SPOD) nanofibrous membrane swelled by lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) ether liquid electrolyte is proposed to address the issue of lithium dendrites. The Li-SPOD membrane synthesized by a simple one-pot method exhibits excellent mechanical strength and thermal resistance due to its high molecular weight and rigid backbone. The electron-withdrawing oxadiazole ring and oxadiazole ring-Li+ complex, and N, O heteroatoms with lone pairs of electrons in Li-SPOD macromolecular chains facilitate the dissociation of -SO3Li group and Li+ transference. The hybrid Li-SPOD GPE exhibits both a high lithium-ion transference number (0.64) and high ionic conductivity (2.03 mS/cm) as well as superior interfacial compacity with lithium anodes. The LiFePO4-Li cell using this novel GPE can operate steadily at 2 C for 300 cycles, remaining a high discharge capacity of 125 mAh/g and dendrite-free anode. Remarkable performance improvements for the Li-Li and Cu-Li cells are also presented.

Hybrid gel polymer electrolyte based on 1-methyl-1-Propylpyrrolidinium Bis(Trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide for flexible and shape-variant lithium secondary batteries

Lithium ion conducting polymer electrolytes with broad electrochemical stability, good mechanical strength, high thermal stability, and easy processability are necessary for all-solid-state and shape-variant lithium secondary batteries. Hybrid gel polymer electrolytes incorporating an ionic liquid have been attracting attention for application in solid-state lithium secondary batteries owing to their superior thermal properties compared to conventional electrolyte systems. In this study, a variety of polymer electrolytes based on poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVdF-HFP), lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide (LiTFSI), and 1-methyl-1-propylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide (PMPyrrTFSI) are prepared, and an in-depth study of their composition dependence and electrical properties is conducted to develop the optimum composition. The composition dependent ionic conductivity of the polymer electrolyte increases with increasing LiTFSI and PMPyrrTFSI and reaches a maximum value of 6.93 × 10−4 S cm−1 at room temperature (25 °C) when the polymer electrolyte contains 30 wt% LiTFSI and 60 wt% PMPyrrTFSI. In addition, the optimized gel polymer electrolytes consisting of PVdF-HFP/LiTFSI/PMPyrrTFSI (70/30/60 by weight, i.e., 70PVdF-HFP/30LiTFSI/60PMPyrrTFSI) look transparent and exhibit high mechanical stability and excellent thermal stability up to 420 °C. Finally, the lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4)/lithium metal solid-state cells coupled with the optimized gel polymer electrolyte are prepared, and their discharge characteristics are studied. The 70PVdF-HFP/30LiTFSI/60PMPyrrTFSI based solid-state cell delivered a maximum discharge capacity of 151 mAh g−1 at room temperature with a good rate capability and cycling performance.

A hybrid gel polymer electrolyte with imide groups modified by the coupling agent and its application in electrochromic devices

Herein, a new class of hybrid gel polyelectrolytes (GPEs) through sol–gel technology has been synthesized and characterized. The reaction mechanism of gel polymer electrolyte is based on the hydrosilylation and sol–gel reactions of poly(propylene glycol) bis(2-aminopropyl ether), pyromellitic dianhydride, glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane, and 3-isocyanatepropyltriethoxysilane. The gel polymer electrolyte exhibits excellent ion-conductive and thermostability performance. The maximum ionic conductivity value of 3.1 × 10−4 S cm−1 and Li-ion transference numbers (t+) reaching 0.49 at 25 °C are achieved for the gel polymer electrolyte. The thermogravimetric analysis results show that the electrolyte samples are nearly 1% weight loss when the temperature reaches up to 100 °C. The gel polymer electrolytes display a prominent electrochemical stability, which could bear potential up to 10 V. In addition, the prototype electrochromic device using electrolyte sample as the conductive layer presents excellent coloration efficiency of 198.9 cm2 C−1, stable cycle of 125 periods under 5-V high-voltage environment, and stable cycling performance (achieving 300 stable cycles from the voltage of −3.5 to 2.5 V). As a result, the GPEs exhibit an excellent electrochemical performance, which is suitable for electrochromic application and offers a remarkable prospective.

Design, synthesis and characterization of urea-based hybrid gel polymer electrolyte for applications in electrochemical devices

In this work, a novel highly conductive colorless and transparent hybrid gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) was synthesized by the sol-gel reaction of poly(propylene glycol) bis(2-aminopropyl ether) (2-APPG) with different molecular chain lengths, isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), 3-isocyanatepropyltriethoxysilane (ICS) and swelled in the electrolyte containing lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide (LiTFSI). The TGA results show that the polymer electrolyte samples have only 1–3% weight loss when the temperature reaches 180 °C, indicating the electrolytes have excellent thermal stability. The presentd GPE exhibits a maximum conductivity value of 1.43 × 10−3 S cm−1 and Li ion transference numbers (t+) reaching to 0.32 at 20 °C. The GPE shows excellent electrochemical stability and storage stability. Furthermore, the prototype of the electrochromic device (ECD) using the GPE sample as the conductive layer has good optical modulation behavior (optical density change (Δ(OD)) value is 0.274), excellent coloring efficiency of 278.6 cm 2 C−1, and satisfactory cycling performance (stable cycling 550 times between 3.2 V and −3.5 V). The results indicate that the GPEs are suitable for electrochromic application and offer remarkable prospective.

The effect of poly(hydroxyl ethyl methacrylate) on the performance of PVDF/P(MMA-co-HEMA) hybrid gel polymer electrolytes for lithium ion battery application

Gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) membranes containing poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), PVDF/SiO2-g-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and PVDF/SiO2-g-p(methyl methacrylate-co-hydroxyl ethyl methacrylate) (PMMA-co-HEMA) organic-inorganic hybrid nanoparticles were prepared by phase inversion method, in which PMMA and P(MMA-co-HEMA) were successfully grafted onto the surface of SiO2 nanoparticles by the atom transfer radical polymerization method. The structure and properties of the membranes were characterized using the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. In addition, the performances of pristine PVDF and PVDF nanocomposites based gel polymer electrolytes in terms of ionic conductivity, linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), C-rate and cycling performance were investigated. The performance of the prepared membranes combined with 1 M LiClO4 in propylene carbonate improved by introducing HEMA groups (GPE3). The ionic conductivity of GPE3 was 2.63 mS cm−1 at 298 K. The electrochemical stability window of SiO2-g-P(MMA-co-HEMA) containing GPE was established to be as high as 4.8 V (vs. Li/Li+). Besides, the Li/LiMn2O4 cell with the GPE3 showed excellent cyclic stability and rate performance. The results suggest the GPE3 is promising to be applied for rechargeable Li batteries with high safety and long cycle life.

Excellent electrolyte-electrode interface stability enabled by inhibition of anion mobility in hybrid gel polymer electrolyte based Li–O2 batteries

Lithium-oxygen (Li–O2) batteries with excellent theoretical energy density (~3500 Wh kg−1) have attracted much attention as next generation energy storage and conversion devices. However, the safety issues caused by the growth of lithium dendrites hinder the commercial application of Li–O2 batteries at the current stage. Here, we propose a novel gel polymer electrolytes (GPE) based on poly (vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-HFP)/poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO)/Ti3C2Tx MXene (refer to as PPM). The weak trapping interactions between ethylene oxide (EO) unit in PEO and anions in lithium salts can solidify anions and promote the dissociation of lithium salts. In addition, the parallel packed two-dimensional Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets can effectively guide the uniform nucleation and growth of lithium on the surface of lithium electrode, inhibiting the formation of lithium dendrites during lithium plating. Based on the above advantages, the ionic conductivity and the lithium ion migration amount of the synthetic GPE can reach 5.45 × 10−4 s cm−1 and 0.47, respectively, at room temperature. Base on the above merits, the Li/PVDF-HFP-PEO-5% Ti3C2Tx MXene/Li (Li/PPM-5/Li) symmetric cell can cycle steadily for more than 650 h at a current density of 0.5 mA cm−2. Moreover, PPM-5 based Li–O2 battery can cycle more than 200 cycles at room temperature. This work is of great significance to improve both safety and cycleability of Li–O2 batteries.

Multifunctional Ladder Polysilsesquioxanes for Hybrid Ionogel Design of Lithium Ion Batteries

Over the past couple of decades, there have been immense research efforts to mitigate the safety concerns of liquid electrolytes in Li batteries, while maintaining practical battery performance.[1] For developing hybrid ionogel electrolytes which possess the requisite thermal, electrochemical, and mechanical properties, while maintaining facile processability with regards to electrochemical device fabrication, we sought out to develop a completely soluble, chemically crosslinkable, ionic-group functionalized hybrid polymer with thermally stable ladder-like structured inorganic backbone. This hybrid ionic polysilsesquioxane crosslinkable polymer with high molecular weight exhibited complete solution processablilty in ionic liquid electrolyte media, while the crosslinkable ionic groups helped to provide high ionic conductivity and enhanced lithium mobility through ionic dissociation of the newly introduced quaternary ammonium group from its counter anion. Polysilsesquioxanes as an inorganic-organic hybrid materials are highly sought out for their exceptional thermal, mechanical, and optical properties.[2] However, the vast majority of hybrid materials are difficult to form free-standing films due to their low molecular weight and brittle nature. Ladder-like polysilsesquioxanes comprise a unique structural class of fully polymeric polysilsesquioxane inorganic-organic hybrids in which a double stranded Si-O-Si inorganic backbone comprises the main chain and organic functional groups are functionalized radially. Moreover, the well-defined, fully condensed inorganic backbone allows for thermoplastic-like behavior and new applications in which thermal curing of uncondensed silanol groups is undesired. A series of ladder-like structured polysilsesquioxanes were synthesized through a controlled hydrolysis-polycondsation reaction. Through fine-tuning of the myriad of reaction conditions for an aqueous base-catalyzed hydrolysis-polycondensation reaction, a facile synthesis of structurally controlled polyphenylsilsesquioxanes as a model compounds were developed. Mechanism and kinetic studies indicated that the condensation reaction proceeded through a T1 structured dimer, which was quantitatively and in-situ formed through hydrolysis of a mild phenyltrimethoxysilane (PTMS) monomer, to give either the cage-structured polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) or the corresponding ladder-like silsesquioxanes (LPSQ) with excellent yields. Ladder-like and POSS materials were selectively achieved at higher and lower initial concentrations of PTMS, respectively, and an in-depth spectroscopic analysis of both compounds clearly revealed their structural differences with different molecular weights.[3] Through this newly developed method for obtaining structurally controlled polysilsesquioxanes, we fabrication hybrid gel polymer electrolytes for lithium ion batteries. First of all, the ladder structured polysilsesquioxane copolymers, LPMASQ’s were utilized as crosslinking gelation agent for conventional liquid electrolytes. Through extensive studies, only a mere 2 wt % was required to completely solidify the liquid electrolyte solution. Due to the minscule 2 wt % required to gelate the liquid electrolyte, exceptionally high ionic conductivity (~6 mS/cm) was obtained, which was on par with that with neat liquid electrolyte (~ 7.2 mS/cm), while having high electrochemical stability (~ 5V).[4] Li batteries fabricated with these materials showed that these materials performed exceptionally well at various C-rates for over 100 cycles, retaining 98.5% Coulombic efficiency. These observations were attributed to the polymeric nature of LPMASQ containing over one hundred methacryl moieties on the rigid double-stranded siloxane backbone. For further study, an ionic group functionalized ladder-like polysilsesquioxane was synthesized and used as a crosslinker for an ionic liquid electrolyte, 1 M LiTFSI in N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (BMPTFSI). Through thermal crosslinking of the polymerizable groups in ionic liquid solution, we were able to fabricate mechanically stable hybrid ionogels with high stability, high ionic conductivity. The lithium ion batteries assembled with hybrid ionogel exhibited excellent cell cycling performance with a high Coulombic efficiency at elevated temperature. A multifunctional crosslinkable and ionic group-functionalized ladder-like polysilsesquioxane was synthesized and utilized as crosslinker for the fabrication of hybrid ionogel electrolytes. Fabricated ionogel electrolytes exhibited exceptional compatibility and solubility with ionic liquid media and through thermal crosslinking enhanced the thermal stability of conventional olefin separators. Moreover, the introduction of ionic functionality gave high ionic conductivity and improved lithium mobility for exceptional lithium ion battery performance. The facile processability as well as exceptional thermal, mechanical, and electrochemical performance, holds great promise for these hybrid ionogel electrolytes for future integration into commercial electrochemical cells.

(Invited) Progress on Hybrid Gel Polymer Electrolyte and Solid Electrolyte for Lithium Ion Batteries

Next generation batteries will have to provide high performances with reduced costs and safety advantage compared to the current lithium-ion products based on liquid electrolyte technology. For doing so, an appealing solution is to reformulate the electrolyte in a nonflammable form, such as a quasi solid state. Solvay, as a raw materials provider to battery manufacturers, develops components for next generation electrolyte materials. The first part of the talk will focus on our Solgain™ solution. This technology, based on a hybrid organic/inorganic network combined with trapped liquid electrolyte, exhibits high ionic conductivity, high flexibility and good mechanical strength in addition to good electrochemical performances. Safety concern will be discussed and progress achieved so far on advanced Li-Ion batteries will be presented. The second part of the talk will be focused toward solutions for Solid State Batteries. All-solid-state batteries using inorganic solid electrolytes and composite electrolytes are considered as promising energy storage systems because of their safety and long life. We will discuss the pathway and product development that Solvay has established to propose full solid state battery materials for future market needs.

Engineering a “nanonet”-reinforced polymer electrolyte for long-life Li–O2batteries

A nanowire-film-reinforced hybrid gel polymer electrolyte is developed; the Li–O2battery with this hybrid electrolyte delivers an ultralong cycle life of up to 494 cycles.