Mechanical Stabilization of Solid Polymer Electrolytes through Gamma Irradiation

• Recent research efforts into solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) beyond the polyether paradigm have broadened the research field with new materials that offer improvements in performance as well as opportunities for tailoring materials for specific applications. In particular materials based on polycarbonates and polyesters have shown to fulfil this promise, as shown for systems based on both the poly(ethylene carbonate) [1,2] and the poly(trimethylene carbonate) [3,4] backbone structures. This has ultimately led to the development of SPEs that can be used in Li batteries operational at room temperature. [1,4] Since ion conduction in these materials – at least at moderate salt concentrations – is coupled to the polymer chain dynamics, the performance of these electrolytes is inherently a compromise between mechanics and ion dynamics. While this is not necessarily an issue at room temperature, it becomes notable at elevated temperatures and we have observed migration of the electrolyte during long-term battery operation under such conditions, ultimately leading to failure of the electrolyte membrane to act as a separator between the electrodes with concomitant battery failure. A solution to this is to chemically crosslink the material in order to stabilize it mechanically. For the poly(ε-caprolactone-co-trimethylene carbonate) host material we have already successfully used in high-performance Li battery cells, [4] this can be done through γ-irradiation. [5] Here, we have explored this treatment in the context of SPEs and show the effects of γ-irradiation on the mechanical properties, ionic conductivity and battery cell performance at room temperature and beyond.  Figure 1. Viscoelastic properties (left) and ionic conductivity (right) of pristine and γ-irradiated SPEs. References[1] K. Kimura, M. Yajima, Y. Tominaga, Electrochem. Commun. 66 (2016) 46-48.[2] M. D. Konieczynska, X. Lin, H. Zhang, M. W. Grinstaff, ACS Macro Lett. 4 (2015) 533-537.[3] J. Mindemark, B. Sun, D. Brandell, Polym. Chem. 6 (2015) 4766-4774.[4] J. Mindemark, B. Sun, E. Törmä, D. Brandell, J. Power Sources 298 (2015) 166-170.[5]                        E. Bat, J. A. Plantinga, M. C. Harmsen, M. J. A. van Luyn, Z. Zhang, D. W. Grijpma, J. Feijen, Biomacromolecules 9 (2008) 3208–3215

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi -- Materialkemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences -- Materials Chemistry (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi -- Polymerkemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences -- Polymer Chemistry (hsv//eng)

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