One key barrier to the wide-spread use of lithium-ion batteries is their potential for catastrophic failure due to lack of inherent abuse tolerance. The reactive nature of electrolytes necessitates protective enclosures that separate the battery from the user and the environment limiting the internal vapor pressure to safe levels, and engineering safety measures which add to size and bulk. We have designed safer high voltage solid electrolytes based on polymer ionic liquid blends. The inclusion of triethyl sulfonium based ionic liquids (IL) into poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) homopolymers has demonstrated utility in lithium batteries below physiological temperature.  The hybrid electrolyte has demonstrated ionic conductivity of 0.117 mS/cm at 0�C, and 1.20 mS/cm at 25�C.  At slightly elevated temperature ionic conductivity is on the order of 10 mS/cm. Building upon prior work with block copolymer electrolytes we have been able to successfully incorporate the sulfur based IL to increase conductivity.

Synthesis and characterization of safer polymer electrolytes for lithium batteries

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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