Random Copolymerization of Substituted Dioxolanes: Rational Design of High-Performance Polymer Electrolytes

Journal Article · Fri Nov 08 00:00:00 EST 2024 · ACS Applied Polymer Materials

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/acsapm.4c02928· OSTI ID:2584836

Rugh, Haley J; Abdo, Emily E; Lee, Jaeyong; Kang, Cheol; N., Juliana; Balsara, Nitash P; Coates, Geoffrey W

Polymer electrolytes enhance the safety of lithium-ion battery systems, but current state-of-the-art poly­(ethylene oxide)-based polymer electrolytes fail to achieve the electrochemical properties necessary for practical applications. We probed the impact of substituent density on the electrolyte performance by introducing methyl substituents into the backbone of a series of poly­(1,3-dioxolane) (PDXL)-based copolymers. The polymerization of 1,3-dioxolane (DXL) and 4-methyl-1,3-dioxolane (MeDXL) yielded a series of random copolymers that were amorphous above 10% MeDXL incorporation. The copolymers with 10 and 20% MeDXL incorporation exhibited higher efficacies than those of either PDXL or poly­(ethylene oxide) (PEO), highlighting the use of methyl substituents to control the electrochemical properties of polymer electrolytes.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Department of Energy; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (SC-22), Materials Sciences & Engineering Division (SC-22.2)
• Grant/Contract Number: AC02-05CH11231
• OSTI ID: 2584836
• Journal Information: ACS Applied Polymer Materials, Journal Name: ACS Applied Polymer Materials Journal Issue: 21 Vol. 6
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English