Investigating the Effect of Added Salt on the Chain Dimensions of Poly(ethylene oxide) through Small-Angle Neutron Scattering

Phase Morphology Dependence of Ionic Conductivity and Oxidative Stability in Fluorinated Ether Solid-State Electrolytes

Solid-state polymer electrolytes can enable the safe operation of high energy density lithium metal batteries; unfortunately, they have low ionic conductivity and poor redox stability at electrode interfaces. Fluorinated ether polymer electrolytes are a promising approach because the ether units can solvate and conduct ions, while the fluorinated moieties can increase oxidative stability. However, current perfluoropolyether (PFPE) electrolytes exhibit deficient lithium-ion coordination and ion transport. Here, we incorporate cross-linked poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) units within the PFPE matrix and increase the polymer blend electrolyte conductivity by 6 orders of magnitude as compared to pure PFPE at 60 °C from 1.55 × 10-11 to 2.26 × 10-5 S/cm. Blending varying ratios of PEG and PFPE induces microscale phase separation, and we show the impact of morphology on ion solvation and dynamics in the electrolyte. Spectroscopy and simulations show weak ion-PFPE interactions, which promote salt phase segregation into-and ion transport within-the PEG domain. These polymer electrolytes show promise for use in high-voltage lithium metal batteries with improved Li|Li cycling due to enhanced mechanical properties and high-voltage stability beyond 6 V versus Li/Li+. Our work provides insights into transport and stability in fluorinated polymer electrolytes for next-generation batteries.

Investigation on the mechanical integrity of a PEO-based polymer electrolyte in all-solid-state lithium batteries

Polyethylene oxide (PEO)-based solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) have good ionic conductivity and flexibility, and is a key component of all-solid-state lithium batteries (ASSLBs). Therefore, the mechanical integrity of PEO-based SPEs during cell operation needs to be urgently evaluated. Here, we conducted a series of tensile and shear adhesion performance tests on PEO16-LiTFSI electrolyte and LiFePO4 electrode adhesion samples at various temperatures and quenching rates. Based on the interface performance data and the elastic-viscoplastic material model of the PEO-LiTFSI electrolyte, a comprehensive electrochemical-mechanical model was established to analyze the stress in the cell and evaluate the mechanical integrity of the PEO16-LiTFSI electrolyte and SPE/cathode interface. The experimental results show that the adhesion strength of the SPE and cathode decreases significantly with increasing operating temperature and quenching rate. The simulation study indicates that the mechanical properties of the SPE can be fully utilized to a certain extent by increasing the quenching rate. In addition, appropriately increasing the operating temperature helps maintain the mechanical integrity of the SPE during cell operation. However, increasing the quenching rate and operating temperature will reduce the interface bonding properties between the SPE and the cathode, resulting in an increased probability of mechanical failure at the SPE/cathode interface. To suppress this negative effect, a design scheme to maintain the structural integrity of the PEO-based polymer electrolyte is proposed by using the C-rate and the SPE thickness as control parameters, which can assist in engineering design and safe operation of Li/PEO16-LiTFSI/LiFePO4 for ASSLBs.

Threading Subunits for Polymers to Predict the Equilibrium Ensemble of Solid Polymer Electrolytes

We present a computational method for polymer growth called "threading subunits for polymers (TSP)" that can efficiently sample solid polymer electrolyte structures with extended conformations. The TSP method involves equilibrating subunit (e.g., monomer) conformations that form favorable solvation ion shells, followed by consecutively connecting the subunits and minimizing the structures. The TSP method can sample polymers with good solvent-like conformations and from near-equilibrium structures in which ions are well-dispersed, avoiding unusual ion clustering under ambient conditions. Using the TSP method, the equilibration time can be reduced significantly by effectively sampling the polymer conformations near equilibrium. We anticipate that the TSP method can be applied to simulate various polymer electrolytes.

Ionic Conductivity and Mechanical Reinforcement of Well-Dispersed Polymer Nanocomposite Electrolytes

Nanoparticles are commonly added to polymer electrolytes to enhance both their mechanical and ion transport properties. Previous work reports significant increases in the ionic conductivity and Li-ion transference in nanocomposite electrolytes with inert, ceramic fillers. The mechanistic understanding of this property enhancement, however, assumes nanoparticle dispersion states─namely, well-dispersed or percolating aggregates─that are seldom quantified using small-angle scattering. In this work, we carefully control the inter-silica nanoparticle structure (where each NP has a diameter D = 14 nm) in a model polymer electrolyte system (PEO:LiTFSI). We find that hydrophobically modified silica NPs are stabilized against aggregation in an organic solvent by inter-NP electrostatic repulsion. Favorable NP surface chemistry and a strongly negative zeta potential promote compatibility with PEO and the resulting electrolyte. Upon prolonged thermal annealing, the nanocomposite electrolytes display structure factors with characteristic interparticle spacings determined by particle volume fraction. Thermal annealing and particle structuring yield significant increases in the storage modulus, G^', at 90 °C for the PEO/NP mixtures. We measure the dielectric spectra and blocking-electrode (κ_b) conductivities from -100 to 100 °C, and the Li⁺ current fraction (ρ_Li⁺) in symmetric Li-metal cells at 90 °C. We find that nanoparticles monotonically decrease the bulk ionic conductivity of PEO:LiTFSI at a rate faster than Maxwell's prediction for transport in composite media, while ρ_Li⁺ does not significantly change as a function of particle loading. Thus, when nanoparticle dispersion is controlled in polymer electrolytes, Li⁺ conductivity monotonically, i.e., (κ_bρ_Li⁺), decreases but favorable mechanical properties are realized. These results imply that percolating aggregates of ceramic surfaces, as opposed to physically separated particles, probably are required to achieve increases in bulk, ionic conductivity.

Distinct effects of zwitterionic molecules on ionic solvation in (ethylene oxide)10: a molecular dynamics simulation study

Ion-containing polymers play a critical role in various energy and sensing applications. Adjusting ionic solvation is one approach to tune the performance of ion-containing polymers. Small zwitterionic molecule additives have presented their ability to regulate ionic solvation because they possess two charged groups covalently connected together. One remaining question is how the effect of zwitterionic molecules on ionic solvation depends on their own chemical structures, especially the anionic groups. To shed light on this question, we investigate the ionic solvation structure and dynamics in LiTFSI/(ethylene oxide)₁₀ (EO₁₀) with the presence of three distinct zwitterionic molecules (MPC, SB, and CB) using molecular dynamics simulations (MPC: 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine, SB: sulfobetaine ethylimidazole, CB: carboxybetaine ethylimidazole, and LiTFSI: lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)-imide). The simulation systems include two Li⁺ : O(EO₁₀) molar ratios: 1 : 6 and 1 : 18. The simulation results show that all three zwitterionic molecules reduce the Li⁺-EO₁₀ coordination number in the order of MPC > CB > SB. In addition, nearly 10% of Li⁺ exclusively coordinates with MPC molecules, only 2-4% of Li⁺ exclusively cooridinates with CB molecules, while no Li⁺ exclusively coordinates with SB molecules. MPC molecules also present the most stable Li⁺ coordination among the three zwitterionic molecules. Our simulations indicate that zwitterionic molecule additives may benefit a high Li⁺ concentration environment. At a low Li⁺ concentration, all three zwitterionic molecules reduce the diffusion coefficient of Li⁺. However, at a high Li⁺ concentration, only SB molecules reduce the diffusion coefficient of Li⁺.

High Salt-Content Plasticized Flame-Retardant Polymer Electrolytes

New solid polymer electrolytes are of particular interest for next-generation high-energy batteries since they can overcome the limited voltage window of conventional polyether-based electrolytes. Herein, a flame-retardant phosphorus-containing polymer, poly(dimethyl(methacryloyloxy)methyl phosphonate) (PMAPC1) is introduced as a promising polymer matrix. Free-standing membranes are easily obtained by mixing PMAPC1 with lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) and a small amount of acetonitrile (AN). LiTFSI/AN mixed aggregates are formed that act as plasticizers and enable ionic conductivities up to 1.6 × 10^-3 S cm^-1 at 100 °C. The high content of LiTFSI used in our electrolytes leads to the formation of a stable LiF solid-electrolyte interphase, which can effectively suppress Li dendrites and the chemical degradation of AN in contact with Li. Accordingly the electrolyte membranes exhibit a wide electrochemical stability window above 4.7 V versus Li⁺/Li and fire-retardant properties due to the presence of the phosphorus-containing polymer. Atomistic molecular modeling simulations have been performed to determine the structure of the electrolytes on the microscopic scale and to rationalize the trends in ionic conductivity and the transport regime as a function of the electrolyte composition. Finally, our electrolyte membranes enable stable cycling performance for LiFePO₄|PMAPC1 + LiTFSI + AN|Li batteries.

Engineering Li/Na selectivity in 12-Crown-4-functionalized polymer membranes

Lithium is widely used in contemporary energy applications, but its isolation from natural reserves is plagued by time-consuming and costly processes. While polymer membranes could, in principle, circumvent these challenges by efficiently extracting lithium from aqueous solutions, they usually exhibit poor ion-specific selectivity. Toward this end, we have incorporated host-guest interactions into a tunable polynorbornene network by copolymerizing 1) 12-crown-4 ligands to impart ion selectivity, 2) poly(ethylene oxide) side chains to control water content, and 3) a crosslinker to form robust solids at room temperature. Single salt transport measurements indicate these materials exhibit unprecedented reverse permeability selectivity (∼2.3) for LiCl over NaCl-the highest documented to date for a dense, water-swollen polymer. As demonstrated by molecular dynamics simulations, this behavior originates from the ability of 12-crown-4 to bind Na+ ions more strongly than Li+ in an aqueous environment, which reduces Na+ mobility (relative to Li+) and offsets the increase in Na+ solubility due to binding with crown ethers. Under mixed salt conditions, 12-crown-4 functionalized membranes showed identical solubility selectivity relative to single salt conditions; however, the permeability and diffusivity selectivity of LiCl over NaCl decreased, presumably due to flux coupling. These results reveal insights for designing advanced membranes with solute-specific selectivity by utilizing host-guest interactions.

Formation of a C15 Laves Phase with a Giant Unit Cell in Salt-Doped A/B/AB Ternary Polymer Blends

Salt-doped A/B/AB ternary polymer blends, wherein an AB copolymer acts as a surfactant to stabilize otherwise incompatible A and B homopolymers, display a wide range of nanostructured morphologies with significant tunability. Among these structures, a bicontinuous microemulsion (BμE) has been a notable target. Here, we report the surprising appearance of a robust C15 Laves phase, at compositions near where the BμE has recently been reported, in lithium bis(trifluoromethane) sulfonimide (LiTFSI)-doped low-molar-mass poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)/polystyrene (PS)/symmetric PS-b-PEO block copolymer blends. The materials were analyzed by a combination of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), ¹H NMR spectroscopy, and impedance spectroscopy. The C15 phase emerges at a high total homopolymer volume fraction ϕ_H = 0.8 with a salt composition r = 0.06 (Li⁺/[EO]) and persists as a coexisting phase across a large area of the isothermal phase diagram with high PS homopolymer compositions. Notably, the structure exhibits a huge unit cell size, a = 121 nm, with an unusually high micelle core volume fraction (f_core = 0.41) and an unusually low fraction of amphiphile (20%). This unit cell dimension is at least 50% larger than any previously reported C15 phase in soft matter, despite the low molar masses used, unlocking the possibility of copolymer-based photonic crystals without compromising processability. The nanostructured phase evolution from lamellar to hexagonal to C15 along the EO60 isopleth (ϕ_{PEO,homo-LiTFSI}/ϕ_H = 0.6) is rationalized as a consequence of asymmetry in the homopolymer solubility limit for each block, which leads to exclusion of PS homopolymer from the PS-b-PEO brush prior to exclusion of the PEO homopolymer, driving increased interfacial curvature and favoring the emergence of the C15 Laves phase.

Polymer Dynamics in Block Copolymer Electrolytes Detected by Neutron Spin Echo

Polymer chain dynamics of a nanostructured block copolymer electrolyte, polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (SEO) mixed with lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) salt, are investigated by neutron spin echo (NSE) spectroscopy on the 0.1-100 ns time scale and analyzed using the Rouse model at short times (t ≤ 10 ns) and the reptation tube model at long times (t ≥ 50 ns). In the Rouse regime, the monomeric friction coefficient increases with increasing salt concentration, as seen previously in homopolymer electrolytes. In the reptation regime, the tube diameters, which represent entanglement constraints, decrease with increasing salt concentration. The normalized longest molecular relaxation time, calculated from the NSE results, increases with increasing salt concentration. We argue that quantifying chain motion in the presence of ions is essential for predicting the behavior of polymer-electrolyte-based batteries operating at large currents.