The Impact of Absorbed Solvent on the Performance of Solid Polymer Electrolytes for Use in Solid-State Lithium Batteries

Gabrielle Foran; Denis Mankovsky; Nina Verdier; David Lepage; Arnaud Prébé; David Aymé-Perrot; Mickaël Dollé

doi:10.1016/j.isci.2020.101597

The Impact of Absorbed Solvent on the Performance of Solid Polymer Electrolytes for Use in Solid-State Lithium Batteries

iScience. 2020 Sep 21;23(10):101597. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101597. eCollection 2020 Oct 23.

Authors

Gabrielle Foran¹, Denis Mankovsky¹, Nina Verdier¹, David Lepage¹, Arnaud Prébé¹, David Aymé-Perrot², Mickaël Dollé¹

Affiliations

¹ Département de Chimie, Université de Montréal, 1375 Avenue Thérèse-Lavoie-Roux, Montréal, Québec H2V 0B3, Canada.
² Prospective Lab, Total SA, Paris La Défense 92069, France.

Abstract

The effects of solvent absorption on the electrochemical and mechanical properties of polymer electrolytes for use in solid-state batteries have been measured by researchers since the 1980s. These studies have shown that small amounts of absorbed solvent may increase ion mobility and decrease crystallinity in these materials. Even though many polymers and lithium salts are hygroscopic, the solvent content of these materials is rarely reported. As ppm-level solvent content may have important consequences for the lithium conductivity and crystallinity of these electrolytes, more widespread reporting is recommended. Here we illustrate that ppm-level solvent content can significantly increase ion mobility, and therefore the reported performance, in solid polymer electrolytes. Additionally, the impact of absorbed solvents on other battery components has not been widely investigated in all-solid-state battery systems. Therefore, comparisons will be made with systems that use liquid electrolytes to better understand the consequences of absorbed solvents on electrode performance.

Keywords: Electrochemical Energy Storage; Energy Materials; Energy Storage; Mechanics of Materials; Polymers.

Publication types

Review