UV-derived double crosslinked PEO-based solid polymer electrolyte for room temperature

The low ionic conductivity at room temperature and poor dimensional stability at high temperature of polyethylene oxide (PEO)-based solid electrolytes greatly limit the development and utilization of solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs). To reconcile the contradiction between electrochemical performance and mechanical strength of PEO-based SPEs, a cross-linking structure with active –CH2CH2O- soft chains that doped with rigid segments is designed and prepared through a method of green ultraviolet irradiation without solvent. The obtained solid film shows a high ionic conductivity of 0.2 mS·cm−1 and an ionic transference number of 0.51 at room temperature. The activation energy value of 1.92 kJ·mol−1 gives evidence for a favorable migration mechanism of PTP-SPE. A combination of flexibility and strength can be realized by molecular structure design with a tensile elongation of 40%. The reversible overpotential in galvanostatic cycling over 500 h of a Li||Li symmetrical cell indicates that the compact PTP-SPE can inhibit the formation of lithium dendrites. This work provides a new strategy for designing high-performance composite solid electrolytes at room temperature.