Elastomeric electrolytes for high-energy solid-state lithium batteries

Rubbery electrode overcomes battery problems

30 June 2022

Key shortcomings of solid-state lithium metal batteries with polymer electrolytes can be overcome by using an electrolyte made from a rubber-like material interlaced with a conducting polymer network.

Conventional lithium metal batteries use liquid electrolytes to convey charge between their electrodes, but they are prone to ignite or explode. Batteries with solid polymer electrodes are much more stable, but they suffer from low ionic conductivity and mechanical stability.

Now, a team led by researchers from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in South Korea has overcome both these problems by using an electrolyte made from a synthetic rubber embedded with a three-dimensional phase of conducting plastic.

This combination provided a high ionic conductivity along with good mechanical properties, and the team considers it a promising strategy for realizing stable solid-state lithium metal batteries with high performances.

Supported content

References

1. Nature 601, 217–222 (2022). doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-04209-4