Review—Polymer Electrolytes for Rechargeable Batteries: From Nanocomposite to Nanohybrid

Abstract

Rechargeable batteries are becoming increasingly important for our daily life due to their strong capability of efficiently storing electric energy under chemical form. The replacement of conventional liquid electrolytes with polymer electrolytes (PEs) has been deemed as one of the most viable solutions towards safer and higher energy density electrochemical energy storage systems which are coveted for e-mobility applications (e.g., electric vehicles, EVs). In recent years, the introduction of inorganic materials into PEs has captured escalating interest, aiming at harmonizing advantages from both organic and inorganic phases. In this review, we present the progress and recent advances in PEs containing nano-sized inorganic materials, with due attention paid to the role of inorganic phases on the physical and chemical properties of the electrolytes. The paradigm shift from composite polymer electrolytes (CPEs, obtained by physical blending) to hybrid polymer electrolytes (HPEs, obtained by chemical grafting) is highlighted and the possible improvement and future directions in CPEs and HPEs are discussed.

Advances in Natural Biopolymer‐Based Electrolytes and Separators for Battery Applications

“…The jellification not only pushes the ionic conductivity near to the level of liquid electrolytes, but also renders better interfacial contacts-as reflected by lower interfacial resistance-with the electrodes. [13,15,16] While polyether, [17] polysulfone, [18] polysiloxane, [19] and polyborate, [20] based homopolymers and copolymers have been explored as matrix for SPEs and backbone for single-metal ion conductors (defined by an unity metal ion transference…”

“…The jellification not only pushes the ionic conductivity near to the level of liquid electrolytes, but also renders better interfacial contacts–as reflected by lower interfacial resistance–with the electrodes. [ 13,15,16 ]…”

A Review of the Use of GPEs in Zinc-Based Batteries. A Step Closer to Wearable Electronic Gadgets and Smart Textiles

“…Among polymer used as polymer electrolytes, PEO is one of the most used, and the one used in its pioneering article by Fenton and Wright [35], to break through, within the polymer chemistry field, the use of polymer as gel polymer electrolyte in electrochemical storage devices. Hitherto, many articles has been devoted to investigate the use of PEO as gel polymer electrolyte in electrochemical devices, mainly for Li-ion batteries [45,[287][288][289], but also for other battery technologies, supercapacitators [31] or electrochromic devices [290]. Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) is a polyether compound also known as polyethylene glycol (PEG).…”

“…Classification of electrolytes for batteries: Reproduced with permission from[45]. Copyright 2011 Elsevier.…”

Compact polyelectrolyte hydrogels of gelatin and chondroitin sulfate as ion's mobile media in sustainable all-solid state electrochemical devices

“…The development of new materials as compact electrolytes in all-solid-state electrochemical cells is currently an area of intense research. 1,2 Solid electrolytes might solve specific problems such as leakage and solvent evaporation that exist in devices using liquid electrolytes, increase the device compactness and minimize the explosion risks related to solvent flammability. Among the various types of solid-state electrolytes, gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) present the advantages of both solid and liquid electrolytes and their relatively high ionic conductivity (10 À4 to 10 À3 S cm À1 under ambient conditions).…”