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Single-ion BAB triblock copolymers as highly efficient electrolytes for lithium-metal batteries

Nature Materials volume 12, pages 452–457 (2013)Cite this article

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Abstract

Electrochemical energy storage is one of the main societal challenges of this century. The performances of classical lithium-ion technology based on liquid electrolytes have made great advances in the past two decades, but the intrinsic instability of liquid electrolytes results in safety issues. Solid polymer electrolytes would be a perfect solution to those safety issues, miniaturization and enhancement of energy density. However, as in liquids, the fraction of charge carried by lithium ions is small (<20%), limiting the power performances. Solid polymer electrolytes operate at 80 °C, resulting in poor mechanical properties and a limited electrochemical stability window. Here we describe a multifunctional single-ion polymer electrolyte based on polyanionic block copolymers comprising polystyrene segments. It overcomes most of the above limitations, with a lithium-ion transport number close to unity, excellent mechanical properties and an electrochemical stability window spanning 5 V versus Li+/Li. A prototype battery using this polyelectrolyte outperforms a conventional battery based on a polymer electrolyte.

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Figure 1
Figure 2: Conductivity performances.
Figure 3: Mechanical performances.
Figure 4: Electrochemical stability window.
Figure 5: Cyclability.
Figure 6: Discharged capacity according to the discharge rate compared at 60 and 80 °C.

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Acknowledgements

The present work was undertaken within the French ANR programme STOCK-E under the contract COPOLIBAT, no. ANR-09-STOCK-E-03.

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Author notes

  1. Renaud Bouchet & Abdelmaula Aboulaich

    Present address: Present address: LEPMI UMR 5279 CNRS—Grenoble INP—Univ. de Savoie—Univ. Joseph Fourier, 38402 St Martin d’Hères, France (R.B); Groupe MANAGEM, Site de Hajar, BP469 Marrakech, Maroc (A.A.),

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, MADIREL UMR7246, 13397 Marseille, France

    Renaud Bouchet, Abdelmaula Aboulaich, Didier Devaux & Renaud Denoyel

  2. Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, ICR 7273, 13397 Marseille, France

    Sébastien Maria, Livie Lienafa, Trang N. T. Phan, Denis Bertin & Didier Gigmes

  3. University of Picardie Jules Verne, LRCS-UMR 6007, 80000 Amiens, France

    Rachid Meziane, Jean-Pierre Bonnet & Michel Armand

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Contributions

R.B. conceived and designed the material. R.M., L.L., J-P.B. and M.A. performed the synthesis and characterization of the anionic monomers. S.M., L.L., T.N.T.P., D.G. and D.B. performed the synthesis and macromolecular characterization of the polyanionic block copolymers. S.M. and R.D. carried out the thermal analysis. A.A., D.D., R.D. and. R.B. performed the sample and battery preparation, the conductivity and mechanical measurements and electrochemical characterizations. R.B. analysed the data and wrote the paper. All authors discussed the results and commented on the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Renaud Bouchet or Abdelmaula Aboulaich.

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Bouchet, R., Maria, S., Meziane, R. et al. Single-ion BAB triblock copolymers as highly efficient electrolytes for lithium-metal batteries. Nature Mater 12, 452–457 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat3602

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