Crosslinked Polymer-Brush Electrolytes: An Approach to Safe All-Solid-State Lithium Metal Batteries at Room Temperature

Electric vehicles, intelligent machines, and portable electronics in our daily lives are placing insatiable demand on safe and powerful battery materials that can function at room temperature. Herein, we report an ultrathin and robust solid-state electrolyte with crosslinked polymer-brush architecture. On one hand, the highly mobile polymer brushes with a moderate side chain length enable efficient cation solvation and fast ion transport, offering room-temperature ionic conductivity as high as 0.23 mS cm(-1). On the other hand, incorporation of the inorganic core crosslinker endows the material with enhanced mechanical strength, thermal stability, and fire resistance. As a result, the crosslinked polymer-brush electrolyte films demonstrate stable lithium electrodeposition and great electrochemical performance in Li/LiFePO4 cells at 30 degrees C, providing a promising pathway to next-generation safe and high-energy lithium metal batteries.

Automated summary

A novel solid-state electrolyte with ultrathin and robust crosslinked polymer-brush architecture is reported, exhibiting high ionic conductivity at room temperature and enhanced mechanical strength, thermal stability, and fire resistance. The electrolyte shows stable lithium electrodeposition and excellent electrochemical performance in Li/LiFePO4 cells at 30 degrees C, providing a promising pathway for next-generation safe and high-energy lithium metal batteries.