The Polymer Society of Korea

Abstract

Polydioxolane (PDOL)-based solid-state electrolytes prepared via in situ polymerization have attracted attention for lithium metal batteries due to their favorable ionic transport properties. However, insufficient mechanical stability limits their practical application and cycling durability. In this work, poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether (PEGDE) is introduced as a crosslinker, where its polyether backbone facilitates lithium-ion coordination and diglycidyl groups enable uniform crosslinking with PDOL via situ ring-opening polymerization, forming a 3D polymer network. PEGDE crosslinkers with different molecular weights are employed to systematically compare ion transport pathways while maintaining similar crosslink density. The optimized crosslinked structure effectively suppresses lithium dendrite growth and enhances electrochemical stability, demonstrating that molecular weight-controlled in situ crosslinking is a promising strategy for stable lithium metal batteries.