Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) are regarded as a potential
candidate
for the development of all-solid-state lithium batteries minus the
safety issues related to their liquid counterparts. Poly(ethylene
oxide) (PEO)-based SPEs with strong capability to dissolve lithium
salts have found extensive application in lithium batteries. However,
the crystalline nature and propensity of lithium dendrite growth in
such SPEs have led to the search for preemptive alternatives like
the incorporation of inorganic nanoparticles or porous frameworks
as fillers in the polymer matrix. Herein, a unique organic polymer
framework (OPF) was synthesized by the Suzuki–Miyaura coupling
reaction between 2,5-dibromo-3-(2-(2-(2-ethoxyethoxy)ethoxy)ethyl)thiophene
and triazine-phenyl boronic acid. Interestingly, the incorporation
of long ethylene glycol side chains in the polymer framework resulted
in the amorphous nature of the OPF. Impressively, the percentage of
crystallinity of PEO reduced significantly to only 30% in OPF-incorporated
PEO/lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide (LiTFSI) composites.
Further, the side chains present in a multidirectional manner acted
as an interfacial compatibilizer aiding the homogeneous distribution
of OPF in the PEO matrix. The SPE showed significantly improved ionic
conductivity compared to the pristine samples (9.61 × 10–3 S cm–1 at 55 °C) and a lithium-ion
transference number of 0.53. The performance of such SPE was further
evaluated by assembling Li/LiFePO4 (LFP) coin cells, showing
a stable discharge capacity of 130 mAh g–1 at 0.2C
after 200 cycles. This work provides an interesting concept for building
a unique type of homogeneous OPF/PEO-based composite SPE film that
can be utilized as a desirable material in solid electrolytes for
lithium battery applications.
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