Poly(m-phenylene isophthalamide)-reinforced polyethylene oxide composite electrolyte with high mechanical strength and thermostability for all-solid-state lithium metal batteries

Polyethylene oxide(PEO)-based solid polymer electrolytes(SPEs)with flexibility,easy processability,low cost and especially strong ability to dissolve lithium salts have been regarded as promising alternatives to traditional flammable liquid electrolytes in next-generation highsafety and high-energy-density lithium metal batteries.However,the inferior mechanical strength and thermostability of PEO-based SPEs will raise the lithium dendritic penetration issue,further leading to the short circuit in batteries.In this work,aiming at enhancing the interfacial stability against Li dendrites of PEO-based SPEs,poly(mphenylene isophthalamide)(PMIA)is introduced as a reinforcing phase for the rational design of PEO/PMIA composite electrolyte.Impressively,PMIA chain with meta-type benzene-amide linkages significantly improves the mechanical strength(1.60 MPa),thermal stability(260℃)and ability to inhibit the growth of lithium dendrites(>300 h at 0.1 mA·cm^(-2))of SPEs.Meanwhile,allsolid-state LiFePO_(4)‖PEO/PMlA‖Li cell demonstrates superior electrochemical performance in terms of high specific capacity(159.1 mAh·g^(-1)),remarkable capacity retention(82.2%after 200 cycles at 0.5 C)and excellent safety characteristics.No burning or explosion occurs under pressing,bending and cutting conditions.This work opens a new door in developing high-performance PEObased electrolytes for advanced all-solid-state lithium metal batteries.