Project R-13856

Self-healing solid inorganic-organic hybrid electrolyte and catholyte for rechargeable batteries (Research)

Solid electrolytes are interesting for lithium ion batteries because of the enhanced safety and energy density which they may provide. Here, we focus on the ionogel electrolyte, which is solid-like, as it is composed of a liquid electrolyte, particularly an ionic liquid, embedded within a solid material, such as a hybrid matrix consisting of silica and an organic part. This allows combining the advantageous properties of the liquid electrolyte (like high ionic conductivity) with the solid behavior of the matrix (i.e. no leakage). However, mechanical degradation or cracking within the cells during electrochemical operation can pose issues to their implementation. Self-healing (SH) functionality can be incorporated into SEs to autonomously repair degradations and cracking during electrochemical operation. Unfortunately, most SH electrolytes are not chemically stable in conjunction with both Li metal and high-voltage positive electrodes and SH binders for NMC-based electrodes have not been reported yet. So, we will develop SH ionogels and binders (catholyte) with good compatibility towards high-voltage positive electrodes and a stable interface contact, which is often the main problem source in solid state batteries.

01 March 2023 - 28 February 2027