Fast Lithium Ion Transport Pathways Constructed by Two-Dimensional Boron Nitride Nanoflakes in Quasi-Solid-State Polymer Electrolyte

• Published in: Nano letters Vol. 23; no. 17; pp. 8106 - 8114
• Main Authors: Zuo, Jinghan, Dang, Yan, Zhai, Pengbo, Li, Bixuan, Wang, Lei, Wang, Moxuan, Yang, Zhilin, Chen, Qian, Gu, Xiaokang, Li, Zeyang, Tang, Peizhe, Gong, Yongji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Chemical Society 13.09.2023
• Subjects: lithium ion transport pathways; boron nitride; quasi-solid-state electrolytes; two-dimensional fillers
• ISSN: 1530-6984; 1530-6992; 1530-6992
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c02169

Quasi-solid-state electrolytes (QSSEs) are gaining huge popularity because of their significantly improved safety performance over nonaqueous liquid electrolytes and superior process adaptability over all-solid-state electrolytes. However, because of the existence of liquid molecules, QSSEs typically have low lithium ion transference numbers and compromised thermal stability. In this work, we present the fabrication of a well-rounded QSSE by introducing hexagonal boron nitride nanoflakes (BNNFs) as an inorganic filler in a poly­(vinylene carbonate) matrix. BNNFs, in contrast to most inorganic fillers used as anion trappers, are used to build fast lithium ion transport pathways directly on their two-dimensional surfaces. We confirm the attractive coupling between lithium ions and BNNFs, and we confirm that with the help of BNNFs, lithium ions can migrate with less damping and a lower transport energy barrier. As a result, the designed electrolyte exhibits good ion transportability, promoted fire retardancy, and good compatibility with lithium metal anodes and commercial cathodes.