In Situ Polymerized Quasi-Solid Electrolytes Compounded with Ionic Liquid Empowering Long-Life Cycling of 4.45 V Lithium–Metal Battery

High-voltage resistant quasi-solid-state
polymer electrolytes (QSPEs)
are promising for enhancing the energy density of lithium–metal
batteries in practice. However, side reactions occurring at the interfaces
between the anodes or cathodes and QSPEs considerably reduce the lifespan
of high-voltage LMBs. In this study, a copolymer of vinyl ethylene
carbonate (VEC) and poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) was used
as the framework, with a cellulose membrane (CE) as the supporting
layer. Based on density functional theory calculations, 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium
bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (Pyr14TFSI), an ionic
liquid, was screened because of its lowest unoccupied molecular orbital
energy level as a modifying agent for the in situ P(VECx-EGy)/Pyrz/LiTFSI@CE QSPEs synthesis. Pyr14+, with a lithiophobic alkyl chain, forms a dense positive
ion shielding layer on the protruding tips of deposited lithium, facilitating
uniform and smooth lithium deposition. Pyr14TFSI assists
in constructing a stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer
on the Li surface enriched with LiF, Li3N, and RCOOLi.
The modulation of lithium deposition behavior on the anode by Pyr14TFSI ensures stable Li plating/stripping for >1500 h.
A Li–Cu
cell exhibits stable cycling for >200 cycles at a current density
of 0.05 mA cm–2, with an average Coulombic efficiency
of 92.7%. In situ polymerization ensures that P(VECx-EGy)/Pyrz/LiTFSI@CE QSPEs exhibit excellent interface compatibility
with the anode and the cathode. The CR2032 button cell Li|P(VEC1-EG0.06)/Pyr0.4/LiTFSI@CE|LiCoO2 demonstrates stable cycling with a negligible capacity decay
of 0.083% per cycle for >390 cycles at 25 °C and 0.2 C when
using
a high-voltage LiCoO2 (4.45 V) cathode. Furthermore, a
7.1 mAh pouch cell achieves stable charge–discharge cycles,
confirming the pronounced stability of the as-fabricated QSPE at the
interfaces of the high-voltage LiCoO2 cathode and Li anode.