Strong Lewis Acid–Base and Weak Hydrogen Bond Synergistically Enhancing Ionic Conductivity of Poly(ethylene oxide)@SiO₂ Electrolytes for a High Rate Capability Li-Metal Battery

Abstract

Solid-state composite polymer electrolytes (CPEs) usually suffer from intrinsic low ionic conductivity and a solid-solid interface, badly inhibiting their widespread commercial application in all-solid-state Li-metal battery (ASSLMB) energy storage. Herein, a synergetic strategy using strong Lewis acid-base and weak hydrogen bonds was employed for self-assembly in situ construction of three-dimensional (3D) network-structured poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and SiO₂ CPEs (PEO@SiO₂). Ascribed to this synergistically rigid-flexible coupling dynamic strategy, a harmonious incorporation of monodispersed SiO₂ nanoparticles into PEO could remarkably reduce crystallinity of PEO, significantly enhancing the ionic conductivity (∼1.1 × 10^-4 S cm^-1 at 30 °C) and dramatically facilitating solid electrolyte interface stabilization (electrochemical stability window > 4.8 V at 90 °C). Moreover, the PEO@SiO₂-based ASSLMBs possess excellent rate capability over a wide temperature range (∼105 mA h g^-1 under 2 C at 90 °C), high temperature cycling capacity (retaining 90 mA h g^-1 after 100 cycles at 90 °C), and high specific capacity (146 mA h g^-1 under 0.3 C at 90 °C). Unambiguously, these high ionic conductivity CPEs along with excellent flexibility and safety can be one of the most promising candidates for high-performance ASSLMBs, evidently revealing that this synergistically rigid-flexible coupling dynamic strategy will open up a way to exploit the novel high ionic conductivity solid-state electrolytes.