Covalently Linked Polymer/Inorganic Hybrid Electrolyte with Ionic Liquid for Lithium Metal Batteries

In this work, a type of polymer/inorganic hybrid electrolytes (PIHEs) containing imidazolium-based ionic liquids (ILs) was prepared through polyaddition method. The obtained hybrid electrolytes possess excellent thermal stability (>240 degrees C), low glass transmission temperature (-46.8 degrees C) accompanied by good lithium ion transference number (t(Li+)=0.35). The interaction of Li+ ion with the HEs has been verified by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) tests. Furthermore, high ion conductivity (sigma) of 0.97x10(-4) S cm(-1) at 25 degrees C was found for this type of PIHEs. At the same time, stable and reversible lithium deposition and dissolution process mediated by the synthesized PIHEs was confirmed by galvanostatic plating/stripping cyclic measurements which reflected its excellent electrochemical stability. This work provides a facile way to construct PIHEs with covalent linkage and decent properties for lithium metal batteries.