Polymer Electrolytes for Lithium Rechargeable Batteries

Recently, much attention has been given to battery electrolytes, aiming to replace liquid electrolytes in commercial batteries with advanced solid-state electrolytes in order to develop all-solid-state batteries (ASSB). Among the solid-state electrolytes, polymer electrolytes are gaining much attention due to their flexible structure, non-flammability, high mechanical stability, and easy processability. Solid-state lithium-metal polymer batteries show promising performance in both stationary storage and electric vehicles (EVs) and they provide better safety and high energy density when compared to Li-ion batteries. But their technology readiness level is still low in addition to their high cost, which eventually limits their market share to luxury or high-end cars. To bridge this gap, significant improvements in the synthesis and processing of polymer electrolytes must be made. This chapter will provide a bird's eye view of recent trends and novel research strategies for the synthesis of polymer electrolytes including organic–inorganic hybrids, liquid–polymer complexes, organic ionic plastic crystals (OIPCs)/polymer composites, polymerized ionic liquids (PILs), single-ion conducting polymer membranes, and hybrid polymer electrolytes consisting of polymers, ionic liquids, and inorganic active fillers. In addition, processing of polymer electrolytes is focused to showcase the design of advanced lithium polymer batteries such as paper-like batteries, stretchable batteries, and 3D-printable batteries.