Allyl ethers as combined plasticizing and crosslinkable side groups in polycarbonate‐based polymer electrolytes for solid‐state Li batteries

Abstract

ABSTRACT Allyl ether‐functional polycarbonates, synthesized by organocatalytic ring‐opening polymerization of the six‐membered cyclic carbonate monomer 2‐allyloxymethyl‐2‐ethyltrimethylene carbonate, were used to prepare non‐polyether polymer electrolytes. UV‐crosslinking of the allyl side groups provided mechanically stable electrolytes with improved molecular flexibility— T g below −20 °C—and higher ionic conductivity—up to 4.3 × 10 −7 S/cm at 25 °C and 5.2 × 10 −6 S/cm at 60 °C—due to the plasticizing properties of the allyl ether side groups. The electrolyte function was additionally demonstrated in thin‐film Li battery cells. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54 , 2128–2135