By changing the state of the liquid electrolyte through in situ polymerization reaction, the prepared gel electrolyte effectively suppressed the interfacial side reactions. In situ curing also realized the integration of electrodes and enhanced the cycle stability of lithium metal batteries. The leakage of liquid electrolytes had been solved while improving the safety property.

Abstract

With the popularity and development of electronic devices, the demand for lithium batteries is increasing, which also puts high demands on the energy density, cycle life and safety of lithium batteries. Gel electrolytes achieve both of these requirements by curing the electrolytes to reduce the interfacial side reactions of lithium metal batteries. The ionic conductivity of the gel electrolytes prepared by in situ curing reach 8.0×10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹, and the ionic mobility number is 0.53. Meanwhile, the gel electrolytes maintain a stable electrochemical window of 1.0–5.0 V. Benefited with the interfacial regulation of PEGDA gel electrolytes, the gel lithium metal batteries show better cycling stability, and achieved 97 % capacity retention after 200 cycles (0.2 C) with a lower increasing rate of impedance.