Skip to main content
Dryad

Converting a metal-coordinating polymer to a polymerized ionic liquid improves Li+ transport

Data files

Dec 19, 2024 version files 1.27 MB

Click names to download individual files

Abstract

Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) with mechanical strength and reduced flammability may also enable next-generation Li+ batteries with higher energy densities. However, conventional SPEs have fundamental limitations in terms of Li+ conductivity. While an imidazole functionalized polymer (PMS-Im) has been previously shown to have ionic conductivity related to the imidazole-Li+ coordination, herein we demonstrate that quaternization of this polymer to form an analogous imidazolium functionalized polymer (PMS-Im+) more efficiently solvates lithium salts and plasticizes the polymer. In addition, inverse Haven ratios as high as 10 indicate positively correlated Li+ transport, possibly due to percolation of nanochannels that significantly improve battery-relevant conductivity. From these combined effects, Li+ conductivity in PMS-Im+ (2.1*10-5 S/cm) is over an order of magnitude greater than in PMS-Im at 90 °C (1.6*10-6 S/cm).