Bifunctional TiO_(2-x)nanofibers enhanced gel polymer electrolyte for high performance lithium metal batteries

Exploration of advanced gel polymer electrolytes(GPEs)represents a viable strategy for mitigating dendritic lithium(Li)growth,which is crucial in ensuring the safe operation of high energy density Li metal batteries(LMBs).Despite this,the application of GPEs is still hindered by inadequate ionic conductivity,low Li^(+)transference number,and subpar physicochemical properties.Herein,Ti O_(2-x)nanofibers(NF)with oxygen vacancy defects were synthesized by a one-step process as inorganic fillers to enhance the thermal/mechanical/ionic-transportation performances of composite GPEs.Various characterizations and theoretical calculations reveal that the oxygen vacancies on the surface of Ti O_(2-x)NF accelerate the dissociation of Li PF_6,promote the rapid transfer of free Li^(+),and influence the formation of Li F-enriched solid electrolyte interphase.Consequently,the composite GPEs demonstrate enhanced ionic conductivity(1.90m S cm^(-1)at room temperature),higher lithium-ion transference number(0.70),wider electrochemical stability window(5.50 V),superior mechanical strength,excellent thermal stability(210℃),and improved compatibility with lithium,resulting in superior cycling stability and rate performance in both Li||Li,Li||Li Fe PO_(4),and Li||Li Ni_(0.8)Co_(0.1)Mn_(0.1)O_(2)cells.Overall,the synergistic influence of nanofiber morphology and enriched oxygen vacancy structure of fillers on electrochemical properties of composite GPEs is comprehensively investigated,thus,it is anticipated to shed new light on designing high-performance GPEs LMBs.

Bacterial Cellulose/Zwitterionic Dual-network Porous Gel Polymer Electrolytes with High Ionic Conductivity

Bacterial cellulose(BC)was innovatively combined with zwitterionic copolymer acrylamide and sulfobetaine methacrylic acid ester[P(AM-co-SBMA)]to build a dual-network porous structure gel polymer electrolytes(GPEs)with high ionic conductivity.The dual network structure BC/P(AM-co-SBMA)gels were formed by a simple one-step polymerization method.The results show that ionic conductivity of BC/P(AM-co-SBMA)GPEs at the room temperature are 3.2×10^(-2) S/cm@1 M H_(2)SO_(4),4.5×10^(-2) S/cm@4 M KOH,and 3.6×10^(-2) S/cm@1 M NaCl,respectively.Using active carbon(AC)as the electrodes,BC/P(AM-co-SBMA)GPEs as both separator and electrolyte matrix,and 4 M KOH as the electrolyte,a symmetric solid supercapacitors(SSC)(AC-GPE-KOH)was assembled and testified.The specific capacitance of AC electrode is 173 F/g and remains 95.0%of the initial value after 5000 cycles and 86.2%after 10,000 cycles.

Incombustible solid polymer electrolytes:A critical review and perspective

Since the advent of the solid-state batteries,employing solid polymer electrolytes(SPEs)to replace routine flammable liquid electrolytes is regarded to be one of the most promising solutions in pursing highenergy-density battery systems.SPEs with superior thermal stability,good processability,and high mechanical modulus obtain increasing attentions.However,SPE-based batteries are not impenetrable due to their decomposition and combustibility under extreme conditions.Researchers believe incorporating appropriate flame-retardant additives/solvents/fragments into SPEs can intrinsically reduce their flammability to solve the battery safety issues.In this review,the recent research progress of incombustible SPEs,with special emphasis on flame-retardant structural design,is summarized.Specifically,a brief introduction of flame-retardant mechanism,evaluation index for safety of SPEs,and a detailed overview of the latest advances on diverse-types SPEs in various battery systems are highlighted.The deep insight into thermal ru naway process,the free-standing incombustible GPEs,and the ratio nal design of pouch cell structures may be the main directions to motivate revolutionary next-generation for safety batteries.

A new review of single-ion conducting polymer electrolytes in the light of ion transport mechanisms

With the depletion of fossil fuels and the demand for high-performance energy storage devices,solidstate lithium metal batteries have received widespread attention due to their high energy density and safety advantages.Among them,the earliest developed organic solid-state polymer electrolyte has a promising future due to its advantages such as good mechanical flexibility,but its poor ion transport performance dramatically limits its performance improvement.Therefore,single-ion conducting polymer electrolytes(SICPEs)with high lithium-ion transport number,capable of improving the concentration polarization and inhibiting the growth of lithium dendrites,have been proposed,which provide a new direction for the further development of high-performance organic polymer electrolytes.In view of this,lithium ions transport mechanisms and design principles in SICPEs are summarized and discussed in this paper.The modification principles currently used can be categorized into the following three types:enhancement of lithium salt anion-polymer interactions,weakening of lithium salt anion-cation interactions,and modulation of lithium ion-polymer interactions.In addition,the advances in single-ion conductors of conventional and novel polymer electrolytes are summarized,and several typical highperformance single-ion conductors are enumerated and analyzed in what way they improve ionic conductivity,lithium ions mobility,and the ability to inhibit lithium dendrites.Finally,the advantages and design methodology of SICPEs are summarized again and the future directions are outlined.

High-performance and robust high-temperature polymer electrolyte membranes with moderate microphase separation by implementation of terphenyl-based polymers

Acid loss and plasticization of phosphoric acid(PA)-doped high-temperature polymer electrolyte membranes(HT-PEMs)are critical limitations to their practical application in fuel cells.To overcome these barriers,poly(terphenyl piperidinium)s constructed from the m-and p-isomers of terphenyl were synthesized to regulate the microstructure of the membrane.Highly rigid p-terphenyl units prompt the formation of moderate PA aggregates,where the ion-pair interaction between piperidinium and biphosphate is reinforced,leading to a reduction in the plasticizing effect.As a result,there are trade-offs between the proton conductivity,mechanical strength,and PA retention of the membranes with varied m/p-isomer ratios.The designed PA-doped PTP-20m membrane exhibits superior ionic conductivity,good mechanical strength,and excellent PA retention over a wide range of temperature(80–160°C)as well as satisfactory resistance to harsh accelerated aging tests.As a result,the membrane presents a desirable combination of performance(1.462 W cm^(-2) under the H_(2)/O_(2)condition,which is 1.5 times higher than that of PBI-based membrane)and durability(300 h at 160°C and 0.2 A cm^(-2))in the fuel cell.The results of this study provide new insights that will guide molecular design from the perspective of microstructure to improve the performance and robustness of HT-PEMs.

Interpenetrating network-reinforced gel polymer electrolyte for ultra-stable lithium−iodine batteries

Li-I_(2) batteries have attracted much interest due to their high capacity,exceptional rate performance,and low cost.Even so,the problems of unstable Li anode/electrolyte interface and severe polyiodide shuttle in Li-I_(2) batteries need to be tackled.Herein,the interfacial reactions on the Li anode and I_(2) cathode have been effectively optimized by employing a well-designed gel polymer electrolyte strengthened by cross-linked Ti-O/Si-O(GPETS).The interpenetrating network-reinforced GPETS with high ionic conductivity(1.88×10^(-3)S cm^(-1)at 25℃)and high mechanical strength endows uniform Li deposition/stripping over 1800 h(at 1.0mA cm^(-2),with a plating capacity of 3.0mAh cm^(-2)).Moreover,the GPETS abundant in surface hydroxyls is capable of capturing soluble polyiodides at the interface and accelerating their conversion kinetics,thus synergistically mitigating the shuttle effect.Benefiting from these properties,the use of GPETS results in a high capacity of 207 mAh g^(-1)(1 C)and an ultra-low fading rate of 0.013%per cycle over 2000 cycles(5 C).The current study provides new insights into advanced electrolytes for Li-I_(2) batteries.

Thin polymer electrolyte with MXene functional layer for uniform Li^(+) deposition in all-solid-state lithium battery

Solid polymer electrolyte(SPE) shows great potential for all-solid-state batteries because of the inherent safety and flexibility;however, the unfavourable Li+deposition and large thickness hamper its development and application. Herein, a laminar MXene functional layer-thin SPE layer-cathode integration(MXene-PEO-LFP) is designed and fabricated. The MXene functional layer formed by stacking rigid MXene nanosheets imparts higher compressive strength relative to PEO electrolyte layer. And the abundant negatively-charged groups on MXene functional layer effectively repel anions and attract cations to adjust the charge distribution behavior at electrolyte–anode interface. Furthermore,the functional layer with rich lithiophilic groups and outstanding electronic conductivity results in low Li nucleation overpotential and nucleation energy barrier. In consequence, the cell assembled with MXene-PEO-LFP, where the PEO electrolyte layer is only 12 μm, much thinner than most solid electrolytes, exhibits uniform, dendrite-free Li+deposition and excellent cycling stability. High capacity(142.8 mAh g-1), stable operation of 140 cycles(capacity decay per cycle, 0.065%), and low polarization potential(0.5 C) are obtained in this Li|MXene-PEO-LFP cell,which is superior to most PEO-based electrolytes under identical condition. This integrated design may provide a strategy for the large-scale application of thin polymer electrolytes in all-solid-state battery.

Low-Enthalpy and High-Entropy Polymer Electrolytes for Li-Metal Battery

lonic-conductive solid-state polymer electrolytes are promising for the development of advanced lithium batteries yet a deeper understanding of their underlying ion-transfer mechanism is needed to improve performance.Here we demonstrate the low-enthalpy and high-entropy(LEHE)electrolytes can intrinsically generate remarkably free ions and high mobility,enabling them to efficiently drive lithium-ion storage.The LEHE electrolytes are constructed on the basis of introducing CsPbl_(3)perovskite quantum dots(PQDs)to strengthen PEO@LiTFSI complexes.An extremely stable cycling>1000 h at 0.3 mA cm^(-2)can be delivered by LEHE electrolytes.Also,the as-developed Li|LEHE|LiFePO_(4)cell retains 92.3%of the initial capacity(160.7 mAh g^(-1))after 200 cycles.This cycling stability is ascribed to the suppressed charge concentration gradient leading to free lithium dendrites.It is realized by a dramatic increment in lithium-ion transference number(0.57 vs 0.19)and a significant decline in ion-transfer activation energy(0.14 eV vs 0.22 eV)for LEHE electrolytes comparing with PEO@LiTFSI counterpart.The CsPbl_(3)PQDs promote highly structural disorder by inhibiting crystallization and hence endow polymer electrolytes with low melting enthalpy and high structural entropy,which in turn facilitate long-term cycling stability and excellent rate-capability of lithium-metal batteries.

In Situ High-performance Gel Polymer Electrolyte with Dual-reactive Cross-linking for Lithium Metal Batteries

Lithium metal batteries have been considered as one of the most promising next-generation power-support devices due to their high specific energy and output voltage.However,the uncontrollable side-reaction and lithium dendrite growth lead to the limited serving life and hinder the practical application of lithium metal batteries.Here,a tri-monomer copolymerized gel polymer electrolyte(TGPE)with a cross-linked reticulation structure was prepared by introducing a cross-linker(polyurethane group)into the acrylate-based in situ polymerization system.The soft segment of polyurethane in TGPE enables the far migration of lithium ions,and the-NH forms hydrogen bonds in the hard segment to build a stable cross-linked framework.This system hinders anion migration and leads to a high Li^(+)migration number(t_(Li^(+))=0.65),which achieves uniform lithium deposition and effectively inhibits lithium dendrite growth.As a result,the assembled symmetric cell shows robust reversibility over 5500 h at a current density of 1 mA cm^(-2).The LFP∷TGPE∷Li cell has a capacity retention of 89.8%after cycling 800 times at a rate of 1C.In summary,in situ polymerization of TGPE electrolytes is expected to be a candidate material for high-energy-density lithium metal batteries.

Metal-Organic Framework Enabling Poly(Vinylidene Fluoride)-Based Polymer Electrolyte for Dendrite-Free and Long-Lifespan Sodium Metal Batteries

Sodium dentrite formed by uneven plating/stripping can reduce the utilization of active sodium with poor cyclic stability and,more importantly,cause internal short circuit and lead to thermal runaway and fire.Therefore,sodium dendrites and their related problems seriously hinder the practical application of sodium metal batteries(SMBs).Herein,a design concept for the incorporation of metal-organic framework(MOF)in polymer matrix(polyvinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene)is practiced to prepare a novel gel polymer electrolyte(PH@MOF polymer-based electrolyte[GPE])and thus to achieve high-performance SMBs.The addition of the MOF particles can not only reduce the movement hindrance of polymer chains to promote the transfer of Na^(+)but also anchor anions by virtue of their negative charge to reduce polarization during electrochemical reaction.A stable cycling performance with tiny overpotential for over 800 h at a current density of 5 mA cm^(-2)with areal capacity of 5 mA h cm^(-2)is achieved by symmetric cells based on the resulted GPE while the Na_(3)V_(2)O_(2)(PO_(4))_(2)F@rGO(NVOPF)|PH@MOF|Nacell also displays impressive specific cycling capacity(113.3 mA h g^(-1)at 1 C)and rate capability with considerable capacity retention.

The Critical Role of Fillers in Composite Polymer Electrolytes for Lithium Battery

With excellent energy densities and highly safe performance,solidstate lithium batteries(SSLBs)have been hailed as promising energy storage devices.Solid-state electrolyte is the core component of SSLBs and plays an essential role in the safety and electrochemical performance of the cells.Composite polymer electrolytes(CPEs)are considered as one of the most promising candidates among all solid-state electrolytes due to their excellent comprehensive performance.In this review,we briefly introduce the components of CPEs,such as the polymer matrix and the species of fillers,as well as the integration of fillers in the polymers.In particular,we focus on the two major obstacles that affect the development of CPEs:the low ionic conductivity of the electrolyte and high interfacial impedance.We provide insight into the factors influencing ionic conductivity,in terms of macroscopic and microscopic aspects,including the aggregated structure of the polymer,ion migration rate and carrier concentration.In addition,we also discuss the electrode-electrolyte interface and summarize methods for improving this interface.It is expected that this review will provide feasible solutions for modifying CPEs through further understanding of the ion conduction mechanism in CPEs and for improving the compatibility of the electrode-electrolyte interface.

A gel polymer electrolyte with IL@UiO-66-NH_(2) as fillers for high-performance all-solid-state lithium metal batteries

All solid-state electrolytes have the advantages of good mechanical and thermal properties for safer energy storage,but their energy density has been limited by low ionic conductivity and large interfacial resistance caused by the poor Li~+transport kinetics due to the solid-solid contacts between the electrodes and the solid-state electrolytes.Herein,a novel gel polymer electrolyte(UPP-5)composed of ionic liquid incorporated metal-organic frameworks nanoparticles(IL@MOFs)is designed,it exhibits satisfying electrochemical performances,consisting of an excellent electrochemical stability window(5.5 V)and an improved Li^(+)transference number of 0.52.Moreover,the Li/UPP-5/LiFePO_(4) full cells present an ultra-stable cycling performance at 0.2C for over 100 cycles almost without any decay in capacities.This study might provide new insight to create an effective Li^(+)conductive network for the development of all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries.

High-Performance Quasi-Solid-State Pouch Cells Enabled by in situ Solidification of a Novel Polymer Electrolyte

Conventional lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)with liquid electrolytes are challenged by their big safety concerns,particularly used in electric vehicles.All-solid-state batteries using solid-state electrolytes have been proposed to significantly improve safety yet are impeded by poor interfacial solid–solid contact and fast interface degradation.As a compromising strategy,in situ solidification has been proposed in recent years to fabricate quasi-solid-state batteries,which have great advantages in constructing intimate interfaces and cost-effective mass manufacturing.In this work,quasi-solid-state pouch cells with high loading electrodes(≥3 m Ah cm^(-2))were fabricated via in situ solidification of poly(ethylene glycol)diacrylate-based polymer electrolytes(PEGDA-PEs).Both single-layer and multilayer quasi-solid-state pouch cells(2.0 Ah)have demonstrated stable electrochemical performance over500 cycles.The superb electrochemical stability is closely related to the formation of robust and compatible interphase,which successfully inhibits interfacial side reactions and prevents interfacial structural degradation.This work demonstrates that in situ solidification is a facile and cost-effective approach to fabricate quasi-solid-state pouch cells with both excellent electrochemical performance and safety.

Solid polymer electrolytes in all-solid-state lithium metal batteries:From microstructures to properties

All-solid-state lithium(Li)metal batteries(ASSLMBs)are considered one of the most promising secondary batteries due to their high theoretical capacity and high safety performance.However,low room-temperature ionic conductivity and poor interfacial stability are two key factors affecting the practical application of ASSLMBs,and our understanding of the mechanisms behind these key problems from microscopic perspective is still limited.In this review,the mechanisms and advanced characterization techniques of ASSLMBs are summarized to correlate the microstructures and properties.Firstly,we summarize the challenges faced by solid polymer electrolytes(SPEs)in ASSLMBs,such as the low roomtemperature ionic conductivity and the poor interfacial stability.Secondly,several typical improvement methods of polymer ASSLMBs are discussed,including composite SPEs,ultra-thin SPEs,SPEs surface modification and Li anode surface modification.Finally,we conclude the characterizations for correlating the microstructures and the properties of SPEs,with emphasis on the use of emerging advanced techniques(e.g.,cryo-transmission electron microscopy)for in-depth analyzing ASSLMBs.The influence of the microstructures on the properties is very important.Until now,it has been difficult for us to understand the microstructures of batteries.However,some recent studies have demonstrated that we have a better understanding of the microstructures of batteries.Then we suggest that in situ characterization,nondestructive characterization and sub-angstrom resolution are the key technologies to help us further understand the batteries'microstructures and promote the development of batteries.And potential investigations to understand the microstructures evolution and the batteries behaviors are also prospected to expect further reasonable theoretical guidance for the design of ASSLMBs with ideal performance.

Optimized CeO_(2) Nanowires with Rich Surface Oxygen Vacancies Enable Fast Li-Ion Conduction in Composite Polymer Electrolytes

Low-cost and flexible solid polymer electrolytes are promising in all-solid-state Li-metal batteries with high energy density and safety.However,both the low room-temperature ionic conductivities and the small Li^(+)transference number of these electrolytes significantly increase the internal resistance and overpotential of the battery.Here,we introduce Gd-doped CeO_(2) nanowires with large surface area and rich surface oxygen vacancies to the polymer electrolyte to increase the interaction between Gd-doped CeO_(2) nanowires and polymer electrolytes,which promotes the Li-salt dissociation and increases the concentration of mobile Li ions in the composite polymer electrolytes.The optimized composite polymer electrolyte has a high Li-ion conductivity of 5×10^(-4)4 S cm^(-1) at 30℃ and a large Li+transference number of 0.47.Moreover,the composite polymer electrolytes have excellent compatibility with the metallic lithium anode and high-voltage LiNi_(0.8)Mn _(0.1)Co_(0.1)O_(2)(NMC)cathode,providing the stable cycling of all-solid-state batteries at high current densities.

A UV cross-linked gel polymer electrolyte enabling high-rate and high voltage window for quasi-solid-state supercapacitors

Serving as a promising alternative to liquid electrolyte in the application of portable and wearable devices,gel polymer electrolytes(GPEs)are expected to obtain more preferable properties rather than just be satisfied with the merits of high safety and deformability.Here,an easy-operated method is employed to fabricate cross-linked composite polymer membranes used for GPEs assisted by UV irradiation,in which N-doped carbon quantum dots(N-CQDs)and TiO2are introduced as photocatalysts and additives to improve the performances of GPEs.Specifically,N-CQDs participate as a cross-linker to construct the inner porous structure,and TiO2nanoparticles serve as a stabilizer to improve the electrochemical stability of GPEs under high voltage(3.5 V).The excellent thermal and mechanical stability of the membrane fabricated in this work guarantee the safety of the supercapacitors(SCs).This GPE based SC not only exhibits prominent rate performance(105%capacitance retention at the current density of 40A g^(-1))and cyclic stability(85%at 1 A g^(-1)under 3.5 V after 20,000 cycles),but also displays remarkable energy density(42.88 Wh kg^(-1))with high power density(19.3 k W kg^(-1)).Moreover,the superior rate and cycling performances of the as-prepared GPE based flexible SCs under flat and bending state confirm the feasibility of its application in flexible energy storage devices.

Multi-objective optimization of the cathode catalyst layer micro-composition of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells using a multi-scale,two-phase fuel cell model and data-driven surrogates

Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs)are considered a promising alternative to internal combustion engines in the automotive sector.Their commercialization is mainly hindered due to the cost and effectiveness of using platinum(Pt)in them.The cathode catalyst layer(CL)is considered a core component in PEMFCs,and its composition often considerably affects the cell performance(V_(cell))also PEMFC fabrication and production(C_(stack))costs.In this study,a data-driven multi-objective optimization analysis is conducted to effectively evaluate the effects of various cathode CL compositions on Vcelland Cstack.Four essential cathode CL parameters,i.e.,platinum loading(L_(Pt)),weight ratio of ionomer to carbon(wt_(I/C)),weight ratio of Pt to carbon(wt_(Pt/c)),and porosity of cathode CL(ε_(cCL)),are considered as the design variables.The simulation results of a three-dimensional,multi-scale,two-phase comprehensive PEMFC model are used to train and test two famous surrogates:multi-layer perceptron(MLP)and response surface analysis(RSA).Their accuracies are verified using root mean square error and adjusted R^(2).MLP which outperforms RSA in terms of prediction capability is then linked to a multi-objective non-dominated sorting genetic algorithmⅡ.Compared to a typical PEMFC stack,the results of the optimal study show that the single-cell voltage,Vcellis improved by 28 m V for the same stack price and the stack cost evaluated through the U.S department of energy cost model is reduced by$5.86/k W for the same stack performance.

Electronegativity-Induced Single-Ion Conducting Polymer Electrolyte for Solid-State Lithium Batteries

The application of solid polymer electrolytes(SPEs)is severely impeded by the insufficient ionic conductivity and low Li^(+)transference numbers(t_(Li)^(+)).Here,we report an iodine-driven strategy to address both the two longstanding issues of SPEs simultaneously.Electronegative lodine-containing groups introduced on polymer chains effectively attract Li^(+)ions,facilitate Li^(+)transport,and promote the dissociation of Li salts.Meanwhile,iodine is also favorable to alleviate the strong O-Li^(+)coordination through a Lewis acidbase interaction,further improving the ionic conductivity and t_(Li)^(+).As a proof of concept,an iodinated single-ion conducting polymer electrolyte(IPE)demonstrates a high ionic conductivity of 0.93 mS cm^(-1)and a high t_(Li)^(+)of 0.86 at 25℃,which is among the best results ever reported for SPEs.Moreover,symmetric Li/Li cells with IPE achieve a long-term stability over 2600 h through the in-situ formed LiF-rich interphase.As a result,Li-S battery with IPE maintains a high capacity of 623.7 mAh g^(-1)over 300 cycles with an average Coulombic efficiency of 99%.When matched with intercalation cathode chemistries,Li/IPE/LiFePO_(4)and Li/IPE/LiNi_(0.8)Mn_(0.1)Co_(0.1)O_(2)solid-state batteries also deliver high-capacity retentions of 95%and 97%at 0.2 C after 120 cycles,respectively.

Progress in Gel Polymer Electrolytes for Sodium-Ion Batteries

Sodium-ion battery is a potential application system for large-scale energy storage due to the advantage of higher nature abundance and lower production cost of sodium-based materials.However,there exist inevitably the safety problems such as flammability due to the use of the same type of organic liquid electrolyte with lithium-ion battery.Gel polymer electrolytes are being considered as an effective solution to replace conventional organic liquid electrolytes for building safer sodium-ion batteries.In this review paper,the authors present a comprehensive overview of the research progress in electrochemical and physical properties of the gel polymer electrolyte-based sodium batteries.The gel polymer electrolytes based on different polymer hosts namely poly(ethylene oxide),poly(acrylonitrile),poly(methyl methacrylate),poly(vinylidene fluoride),poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoro propylene),and other new polymer networks are summarized.The ionic conductivity,ion transference number,electrochemical window,thermal stability,mechanical property,and interfacial issue with electrodes of gel polymer electrolytes,and the corresponding influence factors are described in detail.Furthermore,the ion transport pathway and ion conduction mechanism are analyzed and discussed.In addition,the advanced gel polymer electrolyte systems including flame-retardant polymer electrolytes,composite gel polymer electrolytes,copolymerization,single-ion conducting polymer electrolytes,etc.with more superior and functional performance are classified and summarized.Finally,the application prospects,development opportunities,remaining challenges,and possible solutions are discussed.

A Self-Healing and Nonflammable Cross-Linked Network Polymer Electrolyte with the Combination of Hydrogen Bonds and Dynamic Disulfide Bonds for Lithium Metal Batteries

The self-healing solid polymer electrolytes(SHSPEs)can spontaneously eliminate mechanical damages or micro-cracks generated during the assembly or operation of lithium-ion batteries(LIBs),significantly improving cycling performance and extending service life of LIBs.Here,we report a novel cross-linked network SHSPE(PDDP)containing hydrogen bonds and dynamic disulfide bonds with excellent self-healing properties and nonflammability.The combination of hydrogen bonding between urea groups and the metathesis reaction of dynamic disulfide bonds endows PDDP with rapid self-healing capacity at 28°C without external stimulation.Furthermore,the addition of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide(EMIMTFSI)improves the ionic conductivity(1.13×10^(−4)S cm^(−1)at 28°C)and non-flammability of PDDP.The assembled Li/PDDP/LiFePO_(4)cell exhibits excellent cycling performance with a discharge capacity of 137 mA h g^(−1)after 300 cycles at 0.2 C.More importantly,the self-healed PDDP can recover almost the same ionic conductivity and cycling performance as the original PDDP.