Effect of silica on the interfacial stability of the PEO-based polymer electrolytes

Summary

In order to evaluate the effect of silica on stabilizing the interface of lithium metal electrode/solid polymer electrolyte, the cyclic behavior for silica-free and silica-containing polymer electrolyte under electrical stress was investigated using cyclic voltammetry. These electrolytes have an ionic conductivity of the order 10^-4 S/cm at above 60°C and most importantly the introduction of hydrophilic silica in PEO-based polymer electrolyte has brought about the enhanced stability of lithium metal electrode/polymer electrolyte interface especially under electrical stress. This in turn supports the suitability of the composite polymer electrolytes with hydrophilic silica for fabrication of enhanced rechargeable solid lithium polymer batteries.