Soft colloids have attracted significant recent interest as model systems for studying the glass transition and glassy fluid structure and dynamics. This attraction arises in part from their less fragile behavior when compared to hard sphere colloids and their ability to reach equilibrium even when in a jammed state. This lecture focuses on a class of soft colloids termed Nanoscale organic hybrid materials (NOHMs) and their applications as electrolytes and separators for high-energy secondary batteries. Created by densely grafting oligomers or ionic liquid molecules to inorganic nanoparticles, these materials form stable, self-suspended suspensions, which allow glassy fluid physics, rheology, and structure to be studied without complications from enthalpic interactions between a solvent and the suspended phase. By manipulating the size and chemistry of the tethered molecules, we show that the materials can be used to design lithium battery electrolytes with attractive ionic transport properties, excellent electrochemical & thermal stability, and ability to extend lifetime of high-energy, secondary/rechargeable batteries that utilize metals as anodes.

Nanoscale organic hybrid materials (NOHMs): Applications as electrolytes and separators for high energy secondary batteries

245th National Meeting (2013)

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