Lithium-ion batteries are the energy storage devices of choice not only for portable devices but electric vehicles and grid energy storage as well due to their high gravimetric and volumetric energy density. Their ancestors, the lithium metal batteries offer way higher capacities but suffer severely from safety issues due to the dendrite formation. Solid state electrolytes; e.g. LISICON, garnets, perovskites, etc.; can greatly enhance the safety of lithium-metal batteries but suffer from low ionic conductivity (<10-4 mS/cm). [1] The interfacial resistance between the electrode and the solid electrolyte is another challenge.
Hybrid solid-state electrolytes address these issues and allow for an easier implementation into conventional battery technology. The hybrid solid-state electrolyte combines the desirable properties of both liquid and solid electrolytes by confining the liquid electrolyte within a (meso-)porous solid framework.[2,3]
In this work, we demonstrate the potential of the deep eutectic solvents in hybrid solid-state electrolytes next to their use as liquid electrolytes. A series of hybrid electrolytes is synthesized in a facile one-pot sol-gel route at room temperature and investigated for their electrochemical properties.
Acknowledgements
B. Joos is a PhD fellow of the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO Vlaanderen). This project receives the support of the European Union, the European Regional Development Fund ERDF, Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship and the Province of Limburg (project number EFRO936). The authors would like to thank other group members for their assistance.
References
[1] C. Cao, Z. Li, X. Wang, X Zhao, W. Han, Frontiers in Energy Research, 2 (2014), 1-10.
[2] G. Tan, F. Wu, C. Zhan, J. Wang, D. Mu, J. Lu, K. Amide, Nano Lett., 16 (2016), 1960-1968.
[3] X. Li, S. Li, Z. Zhang, J. Huang, L. Yang, S. Hiranob, J. Mater. Chem. A., 4 (2016), 13822-13829.
