Raman spectroscopic study of ion–ion interaction and its temperature dependence in a poly(propylene‐oxide)‐based NaCF3SO3 –polymer electrolyte

Polyphosphazene-Based Anion-Anchored Polymer Electrolytes For All-Solid-State Lithium Metal Batteries

Safety concerns of traditional liquid electrolytes, especially when paired with lithium (Li) metal anodes, have stimulated research of solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) to exploit the superior thermal and mechanical properties of polymers. Polyphosphazenes are primarily known for their use as flame retardant materials and have demonstrated high Li-ion conductivity owing to their highly flexible P = N backbone which promotes Li-ion conduction via inter- and intrachain hopping along the polymer backbone. While polyphosphazenes are largely unexplored as SPEs in the literature, a few existing examples showed promising ionic conductivity. By anchoring the anion to the polymer backbone, one may primarily allow the movement of Li ions, alleviating the detrimental effects of polarization that are common in conventional dual-ion conducting SPEs. Anion-anchored SPEs, known as single Li-ion conducting solid polymer electrolytes (SLiC-SPEs), exhibit high Li-ion transference numbers (tLi+), which limits Li dendrite growth, thus further increasing the safety of SPEs. However, previously reported SLiC-SPEs suffer from inadequate ionic conductivity, small electrochemical stability windows (ESWs), and limited cycling stability. Herein, we report three polyphosphazene-based SLiC-SPEs comprising lithiated polyphosphazenes. The SLiC polyphosphazenes were prepared through a facile synthesis route, opening the door for enhanced tunability of polymer properties via facile macromolecular nucleophilic substitution and subsequent lithiation. State-of-the-art characterization techniques, such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (ssNMR) were employed to probe the effect of the polymer structure on Li-ion dynamics and other electrochemical properties. Produced SPEs showed thermal stability up to ∼208 °C with ionic conductivities comparable to that of the best-reported SLiC-SPEs that definitively comprise no solvents or plasticizers. Among the three lithiated polyphosphazenes, the SPE containing dilithium poly[bis(trifluoroethylamino)phosphazene] (pTFAP2Li) exhibited the most promising electrochemical characteristics with tLi+ of 0.76 and compatibility with both Li metal anodes and LiFePO4 (LFP) cathodes; through 40 cycles at 100 °C, the PEO-pTFAP2Li blend showed 81.2% capacity utilization and 86.8% capacity retention. This work constitutes one of the first successful demonstrations of the cycling performance of a true all-solid-state Li-metal battery using SLiC polyphosphazene SPEs.

Accelerated Diffusion Following Deprotection in Chemically Amplified Resists

Polymeric chemically amplified resists (CARs) are critical materials for high-throughput lithographic processes. A photoactivated acid-anion catalyst changes the polymer's solubility via a deprotection reaction, which enables pattern development through selective dissolution. To capture observed reaction kinetics, reaction-diffusion models employ a catalyst diffusivity that is accelerated by reaction. However, the microscopic origin and factors contributing to this phenomena remain unclear. Herein, we employ detailed atomistic molecular dynamics simulations to examine the impact of protecting group removal and material relaxation on catalyst mobility. We report data on polymer density, catalyst dispersion, excess free volume, and segmental dynamics with increasing time/extent of deprotection. We then propose simple kinetic Monte Carlo algorithms that can describe both molecular dynamics simulations of deprotection reactions and experimental data.

Polymer electrolytes for metal-ion batteries

The results of studies on polymer electrolytes for metal-ion batteries are analyzed and generalized. Progress in this field of research is driven by the need for solid-state batteries characterized by safety and stable operation. At present, a number of polymer electrolytes with a conductivity of at least 10−4 S cm−1 at 25 °C were synthesized. Main types of polymer electrolytes are described, viz., polymer/salt electrolytes, composite polymer electrolytes containing inorganic particles and anion acceptors, and polymer electrolytes based on cation-exchange membranes. Ion transport mechanisms and various methods for increasing the ionic conductivity in these systems are discussed. Prospects of application of polymer electrolytes in lithium- and sodium-ion batteries are outlined.

The bibliography includes 349 references.

High-Voltage Operation of a V2O5 Cathode in a Concentrated Gel Polymer Electrolyte for High-Energy Aqueous Zinc Batteries

Gel-type polymer electrolytes are very promising to replace liquid electrolytes, addressing the leakage concerns in batteries. In this work, we report a concentrated gel polymer electrolyte for aqueous zinc-metal batteries, which manifests superior Zn stripping/plating reversibility and electrolyte stability, combined with a promising electrochemical stability window and robust water-retention ability. Quasi-solid-state Zn/V₂O₅ batteries employing such an electrolyte reach a specific energy of 326 W h kg^-1 at 20 mA g^-1 based on the cathode mass and a capacity retention of 93% over 600 cycles at 500 mA g^-1. Moreover, the cell performs well in the 0-40 °C temperature range without significant capacity loss. These results represent important steps toward the development of high-energy aqueous zinc batteries.

Robust Polymer Electrolyte Membranes with High Ambient-Temperature Lithium-Ion Conductivity via Polymerization-Induced Microphase Separation

Mechanically robust polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs) exhibiting high ionic conductivity at ambient temperature are a prerequisite for next-generation electrochemical devices. We utilized a polymerization-induced microphase separation (PIMS) strategy to prepare nanostructured materials comprising continuous conducting nanochannels intertwined with a mechanically and thermally robust cross-linked polymeric framework. Addition of succinonitrile (SN) rendered the poly(ethylene oxide)/lithium (Li) salt conducting domains completely amorphous, resulting in outstanding conductivities (∼0.35 mS/cm) at 30 °C. Concurrently, a densely cross-linked polystyrene framework provided mechanical robustness (modulus E' ≈ 0.3 GPa at 30 °C) to the hybrid material. This work highlights a facile, single-pot strategy involving a homogeneous liquid reaction precursor that yields a high-performance ion-conducting membrane attractive for lithium-battery applications.

Tunable Networks from Thiolene Chemistry for Lithium Ion Conduction

End-functionalized poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) were cross-linked by a thiolene reaction with a tetra-functional thiol to create robust, tunable networks. These networks were loaded with increasing amounts of lithium bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl imide) (LiTFSI), and their ion conductivity was measured. A wide range of salt loading was achieved, allowing the investigation of both salt-in-polymer and polymer-in-salt regimes. Thermal, mechanical, and ion conductivity properties of LiTFSI-loaded PEG and PEG-PDMS networks were measured. Even at high salt loadings, both networks maintained rubber-like characteristics, which were stable over a range of temperatures (30-90 °C). The PEG network with the highest salt loading showed the greatest ion conductivity, 6.7 × 10^-4 S cm^-1 at 30 °C, as measured by impedance spectroscopy. This system provides a route to optimize lithium ion conduction and mechanical properties.

Polystyrene-Al2O3 composite solid polymer electrolyte for lithium secondary battery

In a common salt-in-polymer electrolyte, a polymer which has polar groups in the molecular chain is necessary because the polar groups dissolve lithium salt and coordinate cations. Based on the above point of view, polystyrene [PS] that has nonpolar groups is not suitable for the polymer matrix. However, in this PS-based composite polymer-in-salt system, the transport of cations is not by segmental motion but by ion-hopping through a lithium percolation path made of high content lithium salt. Moreover, Al2O3 can dissolve salt, instead of polar groups of polymer matrix, by the Lewis acid-base interactions between the surface group of Al2O3 and salt. Notably, the maximum enhancement of ionic conductivity is found in acidic Al2O3 compared with neutral and basic Al2O3 arising from the increase of free ion fraction by dissociation of salt. It was revealed that PS-Al2O3 composite solid polymer electrolyte containing 70 wt.% salt and 10 wt.% acidic Al2O3 showed the highest ionic conductivity of 9.78 × 10-5 Scm-1 at room temperature.

Xas Studies of Peo Based Polymer Electrolytes

X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) has been very useful in elucidation the structure of polymer electrolytes, in particular ion-ion and ion-polymer interactions. Several examples are discussed. One is the use of XAS to study the effect of temperature on ion pairing. The other is the elucidation of the mixed cation effect on electrolyte conductivity. Several investigations have indicated abnormally high oxygen coordination numbers for cations. These are discussed.

Hydrogen Bonding and Cation Coordination Effects in Primary and Secondary Amines Dissolved in Carbon Tetrachloride

Raman and infrared spectroscopy were used to investigate hydrogen-bonding interactions and cation coordination effects in solutions of lithium triflate (LiCF3SO3) dissolved in two primary amines, hexylamine (HEXA) and N,N-dimethylethylenediamine (DMEDA), and in a secondary amine, dipropylamine (DPA). Strong intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions and weaker intramolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions that occur only in DMEDA were spectroscopically distinguished in a comparison of pure HEXA, pure DMEDA, and the dilute solutions of these amines in CCl4. The spectroscopic shifts in intensity and frequency in the NH stretching region of DPA and DPA diluted in CCl4 were similar to those of HEXA. Dilute electrolyte solutions in carbon tetrachloride were prepared to analyze specifically the cation coordination effect. In these solutions, limited intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions are present, and the observed spectral shifts correspond primarily to the cation-induced shifts. The symmetric SO3 stretching region of the triflate anion was investigated to probe further the coordination of the cation. The local structures of the triflate ions and the amine groups in the electrolyte solutions dissolved in CCl4 are similar to the local structures in the corresponding amine-salt crystals previously reported by us.

Complexation mechanism of olefin with silver ions dissolved in a polymer matrix and its effect on facilitated olefin transport

Remarkable separation performance of olefin/paraffin mixtures was previously reported by facilitated olefin transport through silver-based polymer electrolyte membranes. The mechanism of facilitated olefin transport in solid membranes of AgCF3SO3 dissolved in poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) is investigated. In silver polymer electrolyte membranes, only free anions are present up to the 2:1 mole ratio of [C=O]:[Ag], and ion pairs start to form at a ratio of 1:1, followed by higher-order ionic aggregates above a ratio of 1:2. At silver concentrations above 3:1, the propylene permeance increases almost linearly with the total silver concentration, unexpectedly, regardless of the silver ionic constituents. It was also found that all the silver constituents, including ion pairs and higher order ionic aggregates, were completely redissolved into free anions under the propylene environment; this suggests that propylene can be a good ligand for the silver cation. From these experimental findings, a new mechanism for the complexation reaction between propylenes and silver salts in silver-polymer electrolytes was proposed. The new mechanism is consistent with the linearity between the propylene permeance and the total silver concentration regardless of the kind of the silver constituents. Therefore, the facilitated propylene transport through silver-polymer electrolytes may be associated mainly with the silver cation weakly coordinated with both carbonyl oxygen atoms and propylene.