Issue 1, 2020

Micropores-in-macroporous gel polymer electrolytes for alkali metal batteries

Abstract

High-energy-density lithium and sodium batteries have the potential to meet the growing worldwide energy and power demands for all-electric vehicles. However, it is well known that alkali metal anodes impose a major safety issue when flammable organic-liquid electrolytes are used owing to the formation of anode dendrites during charge that can cause an internal short circuit, thermal runaway, and fire. Herein, a macroporous poly(vinylidene-fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PH) membrane is employed as a flexible three-dimensional macroporous polymer host that can incorporate additional microporous polymers. Introducing hyper-cross-linked microporous polymers within the PH host membrane creates a continuous polymeric network capable of trapping liquid electrolytes and creating a “liquid pathway” across the membrane. Compared to modern separators employed in liquid electrolyte systems, these quasi-solid polymer electrolytes offer superior safety and flexibility without sacrificing the high ionic conductivities of traditionally employed liquid electrolytes. Specifically, we synthesize macroporous PH films with hyper-cross-linked microporous polyfuran or polypyrrole incorporated within the 3D PH structure. These membranes are shown capable of immobilizing a liquid electrolyte within the microporous polymeric matrix that enables a quasi-solid electrolyte with high ionic conductivity, stability, and cycle life when employed in lithium and sodium-metal batteries. Full-cell lithium and sodium-batteries containing these micropores-in-macroporous polymer electrolyte membranes demonstrate rate and interface capabilities comparable to traditional liquid electrolytes, but with significantly improved cycling performance and coulombic efficiencies. Furthermore, these results indicate that the proposed micropores-in-macroporous polymer membranes containing an immobilized-liquid electrolyte can suppress dendrite growth and allow the safe implementation of metallic lithium or sodium anodes.

Graphical abstract: Micropores-in-macroporous gel polymer electrolytes for alkali metal batteries

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
20 Aug. 2019
Accepted
01 Okt. 2019
First published
02 Okt. 2019

Sustainable Energy Fuels, 2020,4, 177-189

Micropores-in-macroporous gel polymer electrolytes for alkali metal batteries

H. Khani, S. Kalami and J. B. Goodenough, Sustainable Energy Fuels, 2020, 4, 177 DOI: 10.1039/C9SE00690G

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements