metal batteries

lithium metal

li metal

capacity retention

solid electrolytes

solid electrolyte

anode material

gel polymer

Electrochimica Acta

• Preparation of methacrylate-based polymer matrix with high ZrO 2 NPs content. • Self-standing and flexible membranes with additive contents up to 80 wt%. • Optimized additive content of 63 wt% allows optimal electrochemical performance. • 140.18 mAh g −1 capacity after 250 cycles at 1 C, at RT, against LFP cathode. Composite polymer electrolytes (CPE) are a very promising strategy for using lithium metal anodes safely. These electrolytes are formed by polymeric matrices in which ceramic nanoparticles are incorporated to modify their mechanical and conduction properties. In this work a methacrylate-based polymer matrix containing 63 wt% of ZrO 2 nanoparticles (NPs) was prepared and tested as electrolyte for lithium metal batteries. The prepared CPE shows a higher ionic conductivity than the polymer matrix without ZrO 2 NPs and a higher lithium transport number than Celgard with liquid electrolyte and stabilizes the processes of deposition-dissolution of lithium with respect to the reference cell, thus prolonging the cycling time without short circuits. Finally, the compatibility of the CPE with a LiFePO 4 cathode was verified, achieving a stable cycling at 1.0 C and at ambient temperature, with an impressive capacity of 140.18 mAh g −1 even after 250 cycles.

Composite polymer electrolyte with high inorganic additive contents to enable metallic lithium anode