In-situ polymerized PEO-based solid electrolytes contribute better Li metal batteries:Challenges,strategies,and perspectives

Polyethylene oxide(PEO)-based solid polymer electrolytes(SPEs)with good electrochemical stability and excellent Li salt solubility are considered as one of the most promising SPEs for solid-state lithium metal batteries(SSLMBs).However,PEO-based SPEs suffer from low ionic conductivity at room temperature and high interfacial resistance with the electrodes due to poor interfacial contact,seriously hindering their practical applications.As an emerging technology,in-situ polymerization process has been widely used in PEO-based SPEs because it can effectively increase Li-ion transport at the interface and improve the interfacial contact between the electrolyte and electrodes.Herein,we review recent advances in design and fabrication of in-situ polymerized PEO-based SPEs to realize enhanced performance in LMBs.The merits and current challenges of various SPEs,as well as their stabilizing strategies are presented.Furthermore,various in-situ polymerization methods(such as free radical polymerization,cationic polymerization,anionic polymerization)for the preparation of PEO-based SPEs are summarized.In addition,the application of in-situ polymerization technology in PEO-based SPEs for adjustment of the functional units and addition of different functional filler materials was systematically discussed to explore the design concepts,methods and working mechanisms.Finally,the challenges and future prospects of in-situ polymerized PEO-based SPEs for SSLMBs are also proposed.

STUDIES ON THE INITIATION MECHANISM OF ORGANIC PEROXIDE AND N-METHACRYLOYLOXYETHYL-N-METHYL ANILINE IN METHYL METHACRYLATE POLYMERIZATION

The initiation mechanism of methyl methacrylate (MMA) polymerization by organic peroxide and polymerizable aromatic tertiary amine such as N-methacryloyloxyethyl-N-methyl aniline (MEMA) binary system has been studied. The kinetics of polymerization of MMA and the ESR spectra of organic peroxide/MEMA system were determined. Based on the ESR study and the end-group analysis by UV spectra of the polymer formed, the initiation mechanism is proposed.

NEW INITIATION SYSTEMS FOR ATOM TRANSFER RADICAL POLYMERIZATION

This review summarizes our achievements in designing new initiation systems for atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). First-order kinetics and extension experiments revealed the living nature of these reactions. Tailor- made vinyl polymers with functional end groups were characterized by 1H-NMR and UV-vis spectroscopic analyses. Replacing traditional radical initiators AIBN and BPO, carbon-carbon bond compounds, 1,1,2,2-tetraphenyl-1,2-ethanediol, diethyl 2,3-dicyano-2,3-diphenylsuccinate and diethyl 2,3-dicyano-2,3-di(p-tolyl)succinate, were utilized in reverse ATRP to produce the initiating radical. Sulfur-sulfur bond iniferter, tetraethylthiuram disulfide (TD), in conjunction with CuBr/bpy or NiCl2/PPh3 complex could control the styrene polymerization via redox reaction. Pseudo-halogen transfer reaction was demonstrated to maintain the dormant-active species equilibrium in normal and reverse ATRP with Cu(S2CNEt2), Cu(S2CNEt2)Cl and Fe(S2CNEt2)3 as catalysts. The organic halide initiator and reduced transition metal compound that started the living polymerization were produced in situ from the components of TD/FeCl3/PPh3, TD/CuBr2/bpy and Fe(S2CNEt2)3/FeCl3/PPh3 systems. Accurate control of UV irradiation time favored the radical generation process in photo ATRP with the 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenylacetophenone/Fe(S2CNEt2)3 initiation system.

STUDIES ON THE KINETICS AND INITIATION MECHANISM OF ACRYLAMIDE POLYMERIZATION USING CERIC/ACETOACETANILIDE SYSTEM AS INITIATOR

It is found that acetoacetanilide possesses very high promoting reactivity towards ceric ion in initiating polymerization of vinyl monomer. The kinetics of acrylamide polymerization and the activation energies were studied. The initiation mechanism of ceric/acetoacetanilide is proposed on the basis of experimental results of FT-IR and ESR.

New initiation system for polymerization of acryl acid

The redox initiation system for polyacrylate sodium of high molecular mass was designed and its effect with varying component dosage on the degree of polymerization was investigated. The results show that the proper type and amount of inorganic salt, as well as amine initiator, are conductive to the increase of degree of polymerization. The fine ingredient of the initiation system is as follows:the dosages of amine, persulphate and inorganic salt are 0.75%, 0.10% and 1.00% by mass based on acryl acid respectively, the molar ratio of sulphite to the persulphate is 1:1. Under such conditions the degree of polyacrylate can reach 7.43×107 with a acceptable polymerization time for industrial production.

The Ring-opening Polymerization of D, L-Lactide Initiated with Stannous Octoate

The ring-opening polymerization of D, L-lactide in the melt was systematically investigated by using stannous octoate as the initiator. The molecular weight of poly (D, L-lactide) was characterized with M,. Mn and Mw respectively. The results indicated that five variables, namely purity of monomer, initiator to monomer ratio, vacuum level, polymerization temperature and polymerization time had different influences on the molecular weight and molecular weight distribution of poly(D. L-lactide).

UV-induced Self-initiated Graft Polymerization of Acrylamide onto Poly(ether ether ketone)

Photo-grafting of hydrophilic monomer was used to enhance the hydrophilicity of poly（ether ether ketone） （PEEK） with the aim of extending its applications to biological fields. PEEK sheets were surface modified by grafting of acrylamide（AAm） with ultraviolet（UV） irradiation in the presence or absence of benzophenone（BP）. The effects of BP, irradiation time and monomer concentration on the surface wettability of PEEK were investigated. Characteriza tion of modified PEEK using scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, energy-disperse spectrometer（EDS） and water contact angle measurements shows that AAm was successfully grafted on PEEK surface both in presence and absence of BP. With the increase in irradiation time and monomer concentration, contact angles decrease to as low as 30°, demonstrating a significant improvement of surface hydrophilicity. In agreement with the decrease in contact angle, under identical conditions, the nitrogen concentration increases, suggesting the increase in grafting degree of the grafting polymerization. This investigation demonstrates a self-initiation of PEEK due to its BP-like structure in the backbone of the polymer. Though the graft polymerization proceeds more readily in the presence of BP, the self-initiated graft polymerization is clearly observed.

In-situ interfacial passivation and self-adaptability synergistically stabilizing all-solid-state lithium metal batteries

The function of solid electrolytes and the composition of solid electrolyte interphase(SEI)are highly significant for inhibiting the growth of Li dendrites.Herein,we report an in-situ interfacial passivation combined with self-adaptability strategy to reinforce Li_(0.33)La_(0.557)TiO_(3)(LLTO)-based solid-state batteries.Specifically,a functional SEI enriched with LiF/Li_(3)PO_(4) is formed by in-situ electrochemical conversion,which is greatly beneficial to improving interface compatibility and enhancing ion transport.While the polarized dielectric BaTiO_(3)-polyamic acid(BTO-PAA,BP)film greatly improves the Li-ion transport kinetics and homogenizes the Li deposition.As expected,the resulting electrolyte offers considerable ionic conductivity at room temperature(4.3 x 10~(-4)S cm^(-1))and appreciable electrochemical decomposition voltage(5.23 V)after electrochemical passivation.For Li-LiFePO_(4) batteries,it shows a high specific capacity of 153 mA h g^(-1)at 0.2C after 100 cycles and a long-term durability of 115 mA h g^(-1)at 1.0 C after 800 cycles.Additionally,a stable Li plating/stripping can be achieved for more than 900 h at 0.5 mA cm^(-2).The stabilization mechanisms are elucidated by ex-situ XRD,ex-situ XPS,and ex-situ FTIR techniques,and the corresponding results reveal that the interfacial passivation combined with polarization effect is an effective strategy for improving the electrochemical performance.The present study provides a deeper insight into the dynamic adjustment of electrode-electrolyte interfacial for solid-state lithium batteries.

GRAFT POLYMERIZATION OF ACRYLAMIDE ONTO HOMOPOLYMER OF 5-METHYL-5-HEXEN-2, 4-DIONE INITIATED BY CERIC ION

The homopolymerization of 5-methyl-5-hexen-2,4-dione (methacryloylacetone, MAA), a vinyl monomer having beta-diketone group, was carried out in the presence of benzophenone (BP)/N, N-dimenthyl-4-toluidine (DMT) system. Graft polymerization of acrylamide initiated by eerie ion onto the homopolymer film was investigated and the mechanism of the grafting reaction was proposed on the basis of ESR study. The grafted copolymer was characterized by means of grafting percentage, water absorption, XPS spectra and scanning electron photomicrographs.

PHOTOSENSITIVITY OF CERIC ION INITIATED ACRYLAMIDE POLYMERIZATION

Polymerization of acrylamide initiated by ceric ammonium nitrate alone has been studied in aqueous medium. The effects of UV light irradiation on the initial rates of polymerization, the activation energy and on the polymer molecular weights have been investigated. Compared with that in the dark, the rate of polymerization under UV light was accelerated to eleven times higher, and the overall activation energy was lowered markedly.

A Novel Continuously Initiated Polymerization by One-Atmosphere Low Temperature Plasma Device

A novel atmospheric plasma device developed in this paper, which is more effective and convenient to study the plasma-initiated polymerization (PIP) than conventional setup. The structure and mechanism of the device is introduced. Some plasma-initiated polymerization experiments are carried out on the device, and the conversion of AA (Acrylic acid) and AM (Acryl amide) atmospheric (N2) plasma polymerization are respectively 89% and 94% after 120 h post polymerization, whereby IR spectra of the product (AA, AM). Our PIP result are confirmed.

UV LASER INITIATED STEREOSELECTIVE HOMOGENEOUS CATALYSIS POLYMERIZATION OF PHENYLACETYLENE

In this paper, the stereoselective homogeneous catalysis polymerization of phenylacetylene by using two kinds of catalysts W(CO)_5CH_3I and W(CO)_4I_2 produced from UV laser photolysis of W (CO)_6 in CH_3I, I_2—C_6H_6 and CHI_3—C_6H_6 respectively was studied. The effects of laser energy, laser irradiation time and lifetime of catalyst on the polymerization of phenylacetylene were discussed. The photoproducts of W (CO)_6 in CH_3I, I2—C_6H_6 and CHI_3—C_6I_6 were determined by IR spectra. The structures of polyphenylacetylene obtained by W (CO)_5CH_3I and W (CO)_4I_2 catalysts were characterized by IR spectra and ~1H NMR spectra.

PHOTOSENSITIVITY OF Ce (Ⅳ) INITIATED METHYL ACRYLATE POLYMERIZATION

The influences of UV light irradiation (313 nm) and diffused daylight on the polymerization of methyl acrylate initiated by the ceric ammonium nitrate without any reducing agent have been studied both in aqueous nitric acid and in pure water. The rate of polymerization was found to be accelerated and the overall activation energy and the induction time were found to be decreased sharply by the UV light irradiation. Under UV light, the rate of polymerization is 8 times as high as the rate in dark. The rate of polymerization was found to attain a maximum with the increase of nitric acid concentration and the rate of polymerization became less sensitive to UV light in the presence of nitric acid whereas the induction period reduced outstandingly. Based on the experimental results, the mechanism is proposed.

Numerical Analysis of Plasma Initiated Polymerization

Plasma initiated polymerization is a kind of well-known radical polymerization mechanism, but it has the ＇living＇ polymerization feature and produces ultra-high molecular weight polymer. In order to explain such phenomena, we calculate the basic data of plasma initiated polymerization of methylmethacrylate （MMA） according to the principle of polymer physics and chemistry. It results in that the radical concentration ranges from 10^-12mol/L to 10^-16mol/L corresponding to the radical life in 10^4s to 10^8s, which means the radicals have a long lifetime. Moreover because of the long lifetime radicals it causes a unique feature rather than the common radical polymerization, and also shows no ＂living polymerization＂. It is noticed in experiments that there are two key factors playing important roles. One is the effective radical amount produced during the plasma discharging while the another is the diffusion factor.

CATIONIC POLYMERIZATION OF 1,3—PENTADIENE INITIATED BY ORGANIC AZIDE/Et_2AlCl

The cationic polymerization of 1, 3-pentadiene was initiated by the organic azide/Et_2 AlClinitiating system in CH_2Cl_2 and n-hexane. The polymerizations were also carried out in parallelwith organic chloride/Et_2AlCl and Et_2 AlCl alone for comparison. The Et_2 AlCl- induced polymer-ization gives a low yield while the polymerization initiated by organic chloride/Et_2 AlCl producesmainly insoluble product. In contrast, the polymerization with azide/Et,AlCl has a high conver-sion and the resulting polymer having a high molecular weight is totally soluble. The SEC spectraof the polymers have clearly shown the differences between these initiating systems.

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF POLYPROPYLENE/MONTMORILLONITE NANOCOMPOSITES VIA AN in-situ POLYMERIZATION APPROACH

Polypropylene/montmorillonite (PP/MMT)nanocomposites were prepared by in-situ polymerization using aMMT/MgCl_2/TiCl_4-EB Ziegler-Natta catalyst activated by triethylaluminum(TEA). The enlarged layer spacing of MMT wasconfirmed by X-ray wide angle diffraction (WAXD), demonstrating that MMT were intercalated by the catalyst components.X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS) analysis proved that TiCl_4 was mainly supported on MgCl_2 instead of on the surfaceof MMT The exfoliated structure of MMT layers in the PP matrix of PP/MMT composites was demonstrated by WAXDpatterns and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation. The higher glass transition temperature and higher storage modulus of the PP/MMT composites in comparison with pure PP were revealed by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA).

Preparation of Polysulfonamide/ZnO Nanocomposite by In-Situ Polymerization

Polysulfonamide/zinc oxide(PSA/ZnO) nanocomposite films with w(ZnO)=0.5% were prepared by in-situ polymerization based on 4,4′-diaminodiphenylsulfone and terephthaloyl chloride in the common solvent N,N-Dimethylacetamide(DMAc). Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was employed to observe the microstructure of the composite film. The thermal property was investigated by TGA and mechanical property was characterized by DXLL-1000 electromechanical material testing machine. The results showed that the breaking strength of the film containing 0.5% ZnO was great enhanced. The average size of ZnO particles was below 100 nm. The introduction of ZnO as nano filler in PSA react as UV shield effect and make the composite mechanical property improved.

Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization of Methyl Methacrylate with α,α-Dichlorotoluene or α,α,α-Trichlorotoluene as Initiator

The atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of methyl methacrylate using α.α dichlorotoluene or α.α.α-trichlorotoluene as the initiator and CuCl/2.2'-bipyridine complex as the catalyst was investigated. α,α-Dichlorotoluene gave good control of molecular weight with high initiation efficiency and low polydispersity. While α.α.α-trichlorotoluene gave very slow polymerization rate. which could be improved by the addition of Cu (0) to the system.

VINYL RADICAL POLYMERIZATION INITIATED WITH CERIC ION AND ETHYL N, N-DIETHYLDITHIOCARBAMYL ACETATE SYSTEM

Acrylamide polymerization initiated with a redox initiation system consisting of eerie ion and ethyl N,N-diethyldithiocarbamyl acetate (EDCA) has been studied. It was found that the polymerization rate equation is in good agreement with that of a redox initiated polymerization, and the overall activation energy of the polymerization was determined to be 25.2 kJ.mol(-1). Accordingly, the system belongs to a redox initiator. The initiation mechanism was proposed based on the end group analysis using FT-IR, UV spectroscopies. Analysis results revealed that the N, N-diethyldithiocarbamyl radical produced from the redox reaction of EDCA with eerie ion can initiate acrylonitrile (AN) polymerization and form the end group on PAN. The resulting PAN was photopolymerized with butyl acrylate (BE) to form PAN-b-PBA block copolymer.

VINYL RADICAL POLYMERIZATION INITIATED WITH CERIC ION AND N-(SUBSTITUTED PHENYL) ACETAMIDE SYSTEMS

The polymerization of acrylamide (AAM)in H_2O/DMF or in H_2O/CH_3CN mixed solvent initiated with ceric ion (Ce^(4+) )/N-(substituted phenyl)-acetamide systems have been studied. The redox polymerization was revealed by the low value of overall activation energy (E_α) of AAM polymerization using ceric ion/N-(substituted phenyl) acetamide system as an initiator. The end group of polymer formed was detected by IR spectrum analysis method, it revealed the presence of N-(m-acetoxy-methylphenyl) acetamide (m-AAe) moiety end group in the polymer obtained with ceric ion/m-AAe initiation system.