Influence of Chemical Microstructure of Single-Ion Polymeric Electrolyte Membranes on Performance of Lithium-Ion Batteries

A novel protocol to generate and control porosity in polymeric structures is presented for fabrication of single ion polymer electrolyte (SIPE) membranes for lithium ion batteries. A series of SIPEs with varying ratios of aliphatic and aromatic segments was successfully synthesized and subsequently blended with PVDF-HFP to fabricate membranes of various sizes of pores. The membranes were characterized using techniques including SEM, solvent uptake capacity measurement and ionic conductivity. We demonstrate that appropriate membrane porosity enhances ionic conductivity, reduces interfacial resistance between electrodes and electrolyte and ultimately boosts performance of Li-ion batteries. The implication of the structure-performance relationship for battery design is discussed.