Hybrid Polymer-Liquid Electrolytes and Their Interactions with Electrode Materials

Abstract

To address the increasing demand for efficient, safe, and sustainable energy storage solutions in the transition towards renewable energy and electrified society, this study explores hybrid polymer-liquid electrolytes (HEs) as a novel solution to overcome challenges of traditional liquid electrolytes used in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Particularly, the research is focused on polymerization-induced phase separation (PIPS) synthesized HEs with distinct phase-separated systems, where an ion-conducting liquid phase percolates the macropores and mesopores within the formed thermoset solid phase. This study investigates the feasibility of using HEs with commercial cathodes and highlights their respective merits and challenges. The feasibility of infusing and forming HEs in commercial cathodes via PIPS within both micron-sized and nano-sized confined spaces is proved. By incorporating these HE-infused electrodes into half-cell configurations, the study proves that the HEs are compatible with common cathodes, and they exhibit energy density comparable with traditional systems with liquid electrolyte.