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Title: Tailored crosslinking of Poly(ethylene oxide) enables mechanical robustness and improved sodium-ion conductivity

Journal Article · · Energy Storage Materials
 [1]; ORCiD logo [2];  [1];  [3]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [2];  [4]; ORCiD logo [1];  [3]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)
  2. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  3. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
  4. Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)

We report that sodium-based energy storage systems are promising candidates for electric vehicles and grid-level energy storage applications. The advancement of sodium-based energy storage systems relies on the development of high performance sodium-ion conducting electrolytes and membranes that exhibit high ionic conductivity and mechanical stability. A crosslinked poly(ethylene oxide) based polymer electrolyte was developed that demonstrates high ionic conductivity, as well as excellent mechanical stability over a wide temperature range. Ionic conductivities up to 2.0 × 10-4 S/cm at 20 °C and 7.1 × 10-4 S/cm at 70 °C are achieved for the plasticized membrane, almost four orders of magnitude greater than that of the non-plasticized membrane. The membranes are mechanically robust, and the storage modulus of the membrane is maintained at ~1 MPa from -20 to 180 °C even with the addition of plasticizer. In conclusion, this study provides a synthesis approach towards the design of highly ion conducting, mechanically robust gel polymer electrolytes for Na-ion batteries, non-aqueous flow batteries, and many other applications.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725; AC05-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
1558567
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1843414; OSTI ID: 1560345
Journal Information:
Energy Storage Materials, Journal Name: Energy Storage Materials Vol. 21; ISSN 2405-8297
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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