| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720 USA;2. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305 USA;3. Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720 USA
Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720 USA;4. Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720 USA;5. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720 USA |
| Abstract: | 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 (tLi+ = 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. |
