Influence of Solvating Plasticizer on Ion Conduction of Polysiloxane Single-Ion Conductors

Fast Li+ Transport Polyurethane-Based Single-Ion Conducting Polymer Electrolyte with Sulfonamide Side chains in the Hard Segment for Lithium Metal Batteries

Single-ion conducting polymer electrolytes (SICPEs) are considered as one of the most promising candidates for achieving lithium metal batteries (LMBs). However, the application of traditional SICPEs is hindered by their low ionic conductivity and poor mechanical stability. Herein, a self-standing and flexible polyurethane-based single-ion conductor membrane was prepared via covalent tethering of the trifluoromethanesulfonamide anion to polyurethane, which was synthesized using a facile reaction of diisocyanates with poly(ethylene oxide) and 3,5-diaminobenzoic acid (or 3,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid). The polymer electrolyte exhibited excellent ionic conductivity, mechanical properties, lithium-ion transference number, thermal stability, and a broad electrochemical window because of the bulky anions and unique two-phase structures with lithium-ion nanochannels in the hard domains. Consequently, the plasticized electrolyte membrane showed exceptional stability and reliability in a Li||Li symmetric battery. The assembled LiFePO4||Li battery exhibited an outstanding capacity (∼180 mA h g-1), Coulombic efficiency (>96%), and capacity retention. This research provides a promising polymer electrolyte for high-performance LMBs.

Enabling High-Voltage "Superconcentrated Ionogel-in-Ceramic" Hybrid Electrolyte with Ultrahigh Ionic Conductivity and Single Li+ -Ion Transference Number

High room-temperature ionic conductivities, large Li⁺ -ion transference numbers, and good compatibility with both Li-metal anodes and high-voltage cathodes of the solid electrolytes are the essential requirements for practical solid-state lithium-metal batteries. Herein, a unique "superconcentrated ionogel-in-ceramic" (SIC) electrolyte prepared by an in situ thermally initiated radical polymerization is reported. Solid-state static ⁷ Li NMR and molecular dynamics simulation reveal the roles of ceramic in Li⁺ local environments and transport in the SIC electrolyte. The SIC electrolyte not only exhibits an ultrahigh ionic conductivity of 1.33 × 10^-3 S cm^-1 at 25 °C, but also a Li⁺ -ion transference number as high as 0.89, together with a low electronic conductivity of 3.14 × 10^-10 S cm^-1 and a wide electrochemical stability window of 5.5 V versus Li/Li⁺ . Applications of the SIC electrolyte in Li||LiNi_0.5 Co_0.2 Mn_0.3 O₂ and Li||LiFePO₄ batteries further demonstrate the high rate and long cycle life. This study, therefore, provides a promising hybrid electrolyte for safe and high-energy lithium-metal batteries.

Solid electrolytes for solid-state Li/Na–metal batteries: inorganic, composite and polymeric materials

This feature article presents the electrolyte synthetic approaches, design strategies, and merging materials that may address the critical issues of solid electrolytes for solid-state Li/Na–metal batteries.

Rhodium-Iodide Complex on a Catalytically Active SiO2 Surface for One-Pot Hydrosilylation-CO2 Cycloaddition

In this study, a novel Rh-iodide complex was synthesized through a surface reaction between an immobilized Rh cyclooctadiene complex and alkylammonium iodide (N⁺ I^- ) on SiO₂ . In the presence of ammonium cations, the SiO₂ -supported Rh-iodide complex could be effectively used for the one-pot synthesis of various silylcarbonate derivatives starting from epoxy olefins, hydrosilanes, and CO₂ . The maximum turnover numbers (TONs) for the hydrosilylation reaction and the CO₂ cycloaddition were 7600 (Rh) and 130 (N⁺ I^- ), respectively. The catalyst exhibited much higher performance for hydrosilylation than solely the Rh complex on SiO₂ . The mechanism of the Rh-catalyzed hydrosilylation reaction and the local structure of Rh, which is affected by the co-immobilized N⁺ I^- , were investigated by using Rh and I K-edge XAFS and XPS. Analysis of the XAFS profiles indicated the presence of a Rh-I bond. The Rh unit was in its electron-rich state. Curve-fitting analysis of the Rh K-edge EXAFS profiles suggests dissociation of the cycloocta-1,5-diene (COD) ligand from the Rh center. Results from spectroscopic and kinetic analyses revealed that the high activity of the catalyst (during hydrosilylation) could be attributed to a decrease in steric hindrance and the electron-rich state of the Rh. The decrease in the steric hindrance could be attributed to the absence of COD, and the electron-rich state promoted the oxidative addition of Si-H. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of a one-pot silylcarbonate synthesis as well as a determination of a novel surface Rh-iodide complex and its catalysis.

Single-ion conducting polymer electrolytes as a key jigsaw piece for next-generation battery applications

As lithium-ion batteries have been the state-of-the-art electrochemical energy storage technology, the overwhelming demand for energy storage on a larger scale has triggered the development of next-generation battery technologies possessing high energy density, longer cycle lives, and enhanced safety. However, commercial liquid electrolytes have been plagued by safety issues due to their flammability and instability in contact with electrodes. Efforts have focused on developing such electrolytes by covalently immobilizing anionic groups onto a polymer backbone, which only allows Li+ cations to be mobile through the polymer matrix. Such ion-selective polymers provide many advantages over binary ionic conductors in battery operation, such as minimization of cell polarization and dendrite growth. In this review, the design, synthesis, fabrication, and class are reviewed to give insight into the physicochemical properties of single-ion conducting polymer electrolytes. The standard characterization method and remarkable electrochemical properties are further highlighted, and perspectives on current challenges and future directions are also discussed.

Unique Carbonate-Based Single Ion Conducting Block Copolymers Enabling High-Voltage, All-Solid-State Lithium Metal Batteries

Safety and high-voltage operation are key metrics for advanced, solid-state energy storage devices to power low- or zero-emission HEV or EV vehicles. In this study, we propose the modification of single-ion conducting polyelectrolytes by designing novel block copolymers, which combine one block responsible for high ionic conductivity and the second block for improved mechanical properties and outstanding electrochemical stability. To synthesize such block copolymers, the ring opening polymerization (ROP) of trimethylene carbonate (TMC) monomer by the RAFT-agent having a terminal hydroxyl group is used. It allows for the preparation of a poly(carbonate) macro-RAFT precursor that is subsequently applied in RAFT copolymerization of lithium 1-[3-(methacryloyloxy)propylsulfonyl]-1-(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide and poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate. The resulting single-ion conducting block copolymers show improved viscoelastic properties, good thermal stability (T onset up to 155 °C), sufficient ionic conductivity (up to 3.7 × 10-6 S cm-1 at 70 °C), and high lithium-ion transference number (0.91) to enable high power. Excellent plating/stripping ability with resistance to dendrite growth and outstanding electrochemical stability window (exceeding 4.8 V vs Li+/Li at 70 °C) are also achieved, along with enhanced compatibility with composite cathodes, both LiNiMnCoO2 - NMC and LiFePO4 - LFP, as well as the lithium metal anode. Lab-scale truly solid-state Li/LFP and Li/NMC lithium-metal cells assembled with the single-ion copolymer electrolyte demonstrate reversible and very stable cycling at 70 °C delivering high specific capacity (up to 145 and 118 mAh g-1, respectively, at a C/20 rate) and proper operation even at a higher current regime. Remarkably, the addition of a little amount of propylene carbonate (∼8 wt %) allows for stable, highly reversible cycling at a higher C-rate. These results represent an excellent achievement for a truly single-ion conducting solid-state polymer electrolyte, placing the obtained ionic block copolymers on top of polyelectrolytes with highest electrochemical stability and potentially enabling safe, practical Li-metal cells operating at high-voltage.

Mechanically Strong and Electrochemically Stable Single-Ion Conducting Polymer Electrolytes Constructed from Hydrogen Bonding

Herein, composite membranes based on a single-ion conducting polymer electrolyte (SIPE) and poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) were prepared by an electrospinning technology. The SIPE with hydrogen bonding was obtained via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) copolymerization of 2-(3-(6-methyl-4-oxo-1,4-dihydropyrimidin-2-yl)ureido)ethyl methacrylate (UPyMA), poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PEGMA), and lithium 4-styrenesulfonyl (phenylsulfonyl) imide (SSPSILi). The obtained composite membrane exhibited a highly porous network structure, superior thermal stability (>300 °C), and high mechanical strength (17.3 MPa). The fabricated SIPE/PVDF-HFP composite membrane without lithium salts possessed a high ionic conductivity of 2.78 × 10^-5 S cm^-1 at 30 °C, excellent compatibility with the lithium metal electrode, and high lithium-ion transference number (0.89). The symmetric Li//Li cell exhibited a superior cycle performance without short circuit, indicating the generation of a stable interface between SIPE and the lithium metal electrode during the process of lithium plating/stripping, which could inhibit lithium dendrite growth in lithium metal batteries (LMBs). The Li//LiFePO₄ cell also exhibited superior cycle life and excellent rate capability at 60 or 25 °C. In consequence, the composite membrane exhibits a considerable future prospect for advanced LMBs.

Poly(ionic liquid)s with branched side chains: polymer design for breaking the conventional record of ionic conductivity

Poly(ionic liquid)s with branched side chains can break the conventional record of ionic conductivity of single-ion conductors.

Polymer electrolytes for metal-ion batteries

The results of studies on polymer electrolytes for metal-ion batteries are analyzed and generalized. Progress in this field of research is driven by the need for solid-state batteries characterized by safety and stable operation. At present, a number of polymer electrolytes with a conductivity of at least 10−4 S cm−1 at 25 °C were synthesized. Main types of polymer electrolytes are described, viz., polymer/salt electrolytes, composite polymer electrolytes containing inorganic particles and anion acceptors, and polymer electrolytes based on cation-exchange membranes. Ion transport mechanisms and various methods for increasing the ionic conductivity in these systems are discussed. Prospects of application of polymer electrolytes in lithium- and sodium-ion batteries are outlined.

The bibliography includes 349 references.

A Single-Ion Conducting Borate Network Polymer as a Viable Quasi-Solid Electrolyte for Lithium Metal Batteries

Lithium-ion batteries have remained a state-of-the-art electrochemical energy storage technology for decades now, but their energy densities are limited by electrode materials and conventional liquid electrolytes can pose significant safety concerns. Lithium metal batteries featuring Li metal anodes, solid polymer electrolytes, and high-voltage cathodes represent promising candidates for next-generation devices exhibiting improved power and safety, but such solid polymer electrolytes generally do not exhibit the required excellent electrochemical properties and thermal stability in tandem. Here, an interpenetrating network polymer with weakly coordinating anion nodes that functions as a high-performing single-ion conducting electrolyte in the presence of minimal plasticizer, with a wide electrochemical stability window, a high room-temperature conductivity of 1.5 × 10^-4 S cm^-1 , and exceptional selectivity for Li-ion conduction (t_Li+ = 0.95) is reported. Importantly, this material is also flame retardant and highly stable in contact with lithium metal. Significantly, a lithium metal battery prototype containing this quasi-solid electrolyte is shown to outperform a conventional battery featuring a polymer electrolyte.

Multifunctional Catalytic Surface Design for Concerted Acceleration of One-Pot Hydrosilylation-CO2 Cycloaddition

Silica-supported Rh-ammonium iodide catalyst showed high performance for hydrosilylation-CO₂ cycloaddition reaction sequences. The catalyst was prepared by surface grafting of Rh and the silane-coupling reaction of the ammonium iodide moiety. The acceleration of each catalytic reaction was realized due to the concerted catalysis between Rh species, immobilized organic functions, and surface Si-OH groups. As a result, good to excellent yields of silyl carbonates were obtained from epoxyolefins, hydrosilanes, and CO₂ under mild reaction conditions.

A gel single ion conducting polymer electrolyte enables durable and safe lithium ion batteries via graft polymerization

Concentration polarization issues and lithium dendrite formation, which associate inherently with the commercial dual-ion electrolytes, restrict the performance of lithium ion batteries. Single ion conducting polymer electrolytes (SIPEs) with high lithium ion transference numbers (t + ≈ 1) are being intensively studied to circumvent these issues. Herein, poly(ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol) (EVOH) is chosen as the backbone and then grafted with lithium 3-chloropropanesulfonyl(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiCPSI) via Williamson's reaction, resulting in a side-chain-grafted single ion polymer conductor (EVOH-graft-LiCPSI). The ionomer is further blended with poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) by solution casting for practical use. The SIPE membrane with ethylene carbonate and dimethyl carbonate (EC/DMC = 1 : 1, v/v) as plasticizer (i.e., gel SIPE) exhibits an ionic conductivity of 5.7 × 10-5 S cm-1, a lithium ion transference number of 0.88, a wide electrochemical window of 4.8 V (vs. Li/Li+) and adequate mechanical strength. Finally, the gel SIPE is applied in a lithium ion battery as the electrolyte as well as the separator, delivering an initial discharge capacity of 100 mA h g-1 at 1C which remains at 95 mA h g-1 after 500 cycles.

Multifunctional Epoxy-Based Solid Polymer Electrolytes for Solid-State Supercapacitors

Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) have drawn attention for promising multifunctional electrolytes requiring very good mechanical properties and ionic conductivity. To develop a safe SPE for energy storage applications, mechanically robust cross-linked epoxy matrix is combined with fast ion-diffusing ionic liquid/lithium salt electrolyte (ILE) via a simple one-pot curing process. The epoxy-rich SPEs show higher Young's modulus ( E), with higher glass transition temperature ( T_g) but lower ionic conductivity (σ_dc) with a higher activation energy, compared to the ILE-rich SPEs. The incorporation of inorganic robust Al₂O₃ nanowire simultaneously provides excellent mechanical robustness ( E ≈ 1 GPa at 25 °C) and good conductivity (σ_dc ≈ 2.9 × 10^-4 S/cm at 25 °C) to the SPE. This suggests that the SPE has a bicontinuous microphase separation into ILE-rich and epoxy-rich microdomain, where ILE continuous conducting phases are intertwined with a sturdy cross-linked amorphous epoxy framework, supported by the observation of the two T_gs and low tortuosity as well as the microstructural investigation. After assembling the SPE with activated carbon electrodes, we successfully demonstrate the supercapacitor performance, exhibiting high energy and power density (75 W h/kg at 382 W/kg and 9.3 kW/kg at 44 W h/kg). This facile strategy holds tremendous potential to advance multifunctional energy storage technology for next-generation electric vehicles.

Single lithium-ion conducting solid polymer electrolytes: advances and perspectives

Electrochemical energy storage is one of the main societal challenges to humankind in this century. The performances of classical Li-ion batteries (LIBs) with non-aqueous liquid electrolytes have made great advances in the past two decades, but the intrinsic instability of liquid electrolytes results in safety issues, and the energy density of the state-of-the-art LIBs cannot satisfy the practical requirement. Therefore, rechargeable lithium metal batteries (LMBs) have been intensively investigated considering the high theoretical capacity of lithium metal and its low negative potential. However, the progress in the field of non-aqueous liquid electrolytes for LMBs has been sluggish, with several seemingly insurmountable barriers, including dendritic Li growth and rapid capacity fading. Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) offer a perfect solution to these safety concerns and to the enhancement of energy density. Traditional SPEs are dual-ion conductors, in which both cations and anions are mobile and will cause a concentration polarization thus leading to poor performances of both LIBs and LMBs. Single lithium-ion (Li-ion) conducting solid polymer electrolytes (SLIC-SPEs), which have anions covalently bonded to the polymer, inorganic backbone, or immobilized by anion acceptors, are generally accepted to have advantages over conventional dual-ion conducting SPEs for application in LMBs. A high Li-ion transference number (LTN), the absence of the detrimental effect of anion polarization, and the low rate of Li dendrite growth are examples of benefits of SLIC-SPEs. To date, many types of SLIC-SPEs have been reported, including those based on organic polymers, organic-inorganic hybrid polymers and anion acceptors. In this review, a brief overview of synthetic strategies on how to realize SLIC-SPEs is given. The fundamental physical and electrochemical properties of SLIC-SPEs prepared by different methods are discussed in detail. In particular, special attention is paid to the SLIC-SPEs with high ionic conductivity and high LTN. Finally, perspectives on the main challenges and focus on the future research are also presented.

Recent progress in solid-state electrolytes for alkali-ion batteries

Solid-state electrolytes have a lot of advantages, including the inhibition of alkali metal dendrite growth, the elimination of liquid electrolyte leakage, the improvement of safety, the enhancement of energy density and power density, and the potential application in flexible electronics. Therefore, solid-state electrolytes have become one of the hottest topics in energy-storage research area. An up-to-date review on solid-state electrolytes is of not only scientific significance but also technological imperative. Here, recent progress in solid-state electrolytes for alkali ion batteries is summarized. Through this comprehensive review and the comparison of different solid-state electrolytes, we hope it can give a clear figure of the state-of-art status and the development trend of the future solid-state electrolytes.

Dendrite Suppression by Synergistic Combination of Solid Polymer Electrolyte Crosslinked with Natural Terpenes and Lithium-Powder Anode for Lithium-Metal Batteries

Lithium-metal anode has fundamental problems concerning formation and growth of lithium dendrites, which prevents practical applications of next generation of high-capacity lithium-metal batteries. The synergistic combination of solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) crosslinked with naturally occurring terpenes and lithium-powder anode is promising solution to resolve the dendrite issues by substituting conventional liquid electrolyte/separator and lithium-foil anode system. A series of SPEs based on polysiloxane crosslinked with natural terpenes are prepared by facile thiol-ene click reaction under mild condition and the structural effect of terpene crosslinkers on electrochemical properties is studied. Lithium powder with large surface area is prepared by droplet emulsion technique (DET) and used as anode material. The effect of the physical state of electrolyte (solid/liquid) and morphology of lithium-metal anode (powder/foil) on dendrite growth behavior is systematically studied. The synergistic combination of SPE and lithium-powder anode suggests an effective solution to suppress the dendrite growth owing to the formation of a stable solid-electrolyte interface (SEI) layer and delocalized current density.

Single-Ion Block Copoly(ionic liquid)s as Electrolytes for All-Solid State Lithium Batteries

Polymer electrolytes have been proposed as replacement for conventional liquid electrolytes in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their intrinsic enhanced safety. Nevertheless, the power delivery of these materials is limited by the concentration gradient of the lithium salt. Single-ion conducting polyelectrolytes represent the ideal solution since their nature prevents polarization phenomena. Herein, the preparation of a new family of single-ion conducting block copolymer polyelectrolytes via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization technique is reported. These copolymers comprise poly(lithium 1-[3-(methacryloyloxy)propylsulfonyl]-1-(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide) and poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate blocks. The obtained polyelectrolytes show low Tg values in the range of -61 to 0.6 °C, comparatively high ionic conductivity (up to 2.3 × 10(-6) and 1.2 × 10(-5) S cm(-1) at 25 and 55 °C, respectively), wide electrochemical stability (up to 4.5 V versus Li(+)/Li), and a lithium-ion transference number close to unity (0.83). Owing to the combination of all mentioned properties, the prepared polymer materials were used as solid polyelectrolytes and as binders in the elaboration of lithium-metal battery prototypes with high charge/discharge efficiency and excellent specific capacity (up to 130 mAh g(-1)) at C/15 rate.

Segmental Dynamics and Dielectric Constant of Polysiloxane Polar Copolymers as Plasticizers for Polymer Electrolytes

Dielectric relaxation spectroscopy was used to investigate the segmental dynamics of a series of siloxane-based polar copolymers combining pendant cyclic carbonates and short poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) chains. The homopolymer with cyclic carbonate as the only side chain exhibits higher glass transition temperature T(g) and dielectric constant ε(s) than the one with only PEO side chains. For their copolymers the observed T(g) (agreeing well with the predicted values from the Fox equation) and ε(s) decrease with increasing PEO side chain content. These polar polymers exhibit a glassy β relaxation with Arrhenius character, attributed to local chain motions of side groups attached to the main chain, and a segmental α relaxation, associated with the glass transition with a Vogel temperature dependence. As PEO side chain content increases, narrowing of the local glassy β relaxation was observed in the copolymers. The segmental α dynamics were observed to be faster, with an increase in breadth and decrease in strength with increasing PEO side chain content. Owing to the trade-off between T(g) and ε(s), copolymers of intermediate composition result in the highest ionic conductivity when these copolymers are used to plasticize Li single-ion conducting ionomers.

Tetraarylborate polymer networks as single-ion conducting solid electrolytes

A new family of solid polymer electrolytes based upon anionic tetrakis(phenyl)borate tetrahedral nodes and linear bis-alkyne linkers is reported. Sonogashira polymerizations using tetrakis(4-iodophenyl)borate, tetrakis(4-iodo-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorophenyl)borate and tetrakis(4-bromo-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorophenyl)borate delivered highly cross-linked polymer networks with both 1,4-diethynylbeznene and a tri(ethylene glycol) substituted derivative. Promising initial conductivity metrics have been observed, including high room temperature conductivities (up to 2.7 × 10-4 S cm-1), moderate activation energies (0.25-0.28 eV), and high lithium ion transport numbers (up to tLi+ = 0.93). Initial investigations into the effects of important materials parameters such as bulk morphology, porosity, fluorination, and other chemical modification, provide starting design parameters for further development of this new class of solid electrolytes.

Silica nanoparticles densely grafted with PEO for ionomer plasticization

PEO-grafted nanoparticles and hydroxylated nanoparticles demonstrate different ionic conductivity–viscosity temperature dependence in nanocomposite ionomers.

Highly efficient solid polymer electrolytes using ion containing polymer microgels

A solid polymer electrolyte fabricated using ion containing microgels manifests high ionic conductivity for potential use in lithium batteries.