Interfacial Engineering of Lithium Metal Batteries Using Phase-Separated and Semi-interpenetrating Network Electrolytes via In-Situ Dual Curing Process
발표자
오수연 (인하대학교)
연구책임자
최우혁 (인하대학교)
공동저자
오수연 (인하대학교), 최우혁 (인하대학교)
초록
내용
Gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) for lithium metal batteries (LMBs) must overcome two major challenges: trade-off between ionic conductivity and mechanical strength, and insufficient interfacial stability. Here, we present an in-situ dual-curable GPE that integrates polymerization-induced phase separation (PIPS) with a semi-interpenetrating network (semi-IPN) structure to simultaneously achieve high ionic conductivity and mechanical robustness. In the first UV-curing step, BPAEDA polymerizes and undergoes PIPS with the liquid electrolyte, generating a continuous electrolyte-rich phase that provides an efficient ion-conduction pathway, yielding an ionic conductivity of 2.0 × 10⁻³ S/cm at room temperature. The VEC component does not polymerize under UV exposure and therefore remains in the liquid phase at this stage, enhancing wetting and conformal contact at the electrolyte/electrode interfaces after cell assembly. A subsequent thermal-curing step polymerizes VEC in situ, forming a semi-IPN matrix that increases the shear storage modulus to 1.36 × 10⁵ Pa and promotes void-minimized solid–solid contact at the electrode/electrolyte interfaces. The resulting electrolyte exhibits a low interfacial resistance of 473 Ω and effectively suppresses dendritic growth, enabling stable Li plating/stripping for over 2000 h with minimal overpotential in symmetric cells. When applied to Li||LFP full cells at 1C, the GPE delivers excellent cycling stability, retaining 81.3% of its capacity after 524 cycles. This strategy offers a promising route for developing durable and high-performance electrolytes for next-generation LMBs.