Scientific Achievement
This work opens the door to blending different polymers to create optimal electrolytes in a manner that is similar to that used to optimize liquid electrolytes in lithium-ion batteries.
Significance and Impact
Modern lithium-ion batteries use blends of organic solvents as an electrolyte. Replacing this flammable electrolyte with inherently safer blends of nonvolatile polymers is challenging because polymers rarely mix.
Research Details
- Since polymers have similar refractive indices, determining miscibility using simple examination is not possible, Small angle neutron scattering is used to determine the salt concentration range at which PEO and P(2EO-MO) are miscible.
- The electrochemical properties of PEO/P(2EO-MO) electrolyte blends are found to be similar to that of PEO electrolytes.
