Poly(ethylene oxide)-based electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries

Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) based materials are widely considered as promising candidates of polymer hosts in solid-state electrolytes for high energy density secondary lithium batteries. They have several specific advantages such as high safety, easy fabrication, low cost, high energy density, good electrochemical stability, and excellent compatibility with lithium salts. However, the typical linear PEO does not meet the production requirement because of its insufficient ionic conductivity due to the high crystallinity of the ethylene oxide (EO) chains, which can restrain the ionic transition due to the stiff structure especially at low temperature. Scientists have explored different approaches to reduce the crystallinity and hence to improve the ionic conductivity of PEO-based electrolytes, including blending, modifying and making PEO derivatives. This review is focused on surveying the recent developments and issues concerning PEO-based electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries.