Click-chemistry and ionic cross-linking induced double cross-linking ionogel electrolyte for flexible lithium-ion batteries

With the expansion of portable devices, high-security and flexible energy storage technologies are gaining popularity. However, because of the use of poisonous, flammable, and unstable organic liquid electrolytes in commercial lithium-ion batteries, they cannot provide sufficient protection for the safety and long-term life of portable devices. A thiolate click reaction and ion interaction are used to successfully create a double cross-linking ionogel electrolyte (DC-Ionogel) by sealing 1-ethyl-3methyimidazolium bis (trifluoromethyl) imide (EMIm(TFSI)) in a double cross-linked network. An ion cross-linking network and a covalent cross-linking network are interlaced in the double cross-linked network, which considerably increased the flexibility and stability of the ionogel electrolyte. As a result, DC-Ionogel outperformed in terms of flame retardancy and thermal dimensional stability and outperformed in terms of electrochemical performance, with higher room ionic conductivity (1.79 × 10−3S cm−1) and a broader electrochemical window (5 V). Due to its excellent performance, it is more likely to be used in flexible energy-storage devices.