A solid-state single-ion polymer electrolyte with ultrahigh ionic conductivity for dendrite-free lithium metal batteries

For lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) with lithium metal anode, the Li-dendrite penetration has captured much attention due to the safety issue. Single-ion solid polymer electrolytes (SSPEs), due to their minimality of the concentration gradient near the anode, are widely considered as effective substitutions to lower the driving force for dendrite generating. In this work, we prepare a novel SSPE of the high transference number of the lithium ion (t(Li)(+) = 0.97). The prepared SSPE membrane exhibits the decent ionic conductivity (sigma = 3.08 x 10(-4) S cm(-1) at 25 degrees C). The symmetric Li/SSPE/Li cell exhibits a favorable cycle performance without any short circuiting, suggesting the great ability of the novel SSPE to restrict the growth of Li dendrites. Sandwiched by lithium metal anode and LiFePO4 cathode, the 20 wt% SSPE membrane performs good compatibility with these electrodes and the battery displays fantastic cycling performance. In consequence, this novel SSPE membrane possesses the potential of the application in high-performance LIBs.