Entropy‐Driven Modulation of Ion Clustering and Polymer Crystallinity for Low‐Temperature Lithium Metal Batteries
Solid-state Li metal batteries have garnered significant attention for their intrinsic safety and high energy density. Among various solid-state electrolytes, solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) offer their excellent processability and interfacial compatibility but suffer from the formation of large ionic clusters and crystallization, which hinder Li<sup>+</sup> transport and desolvation, particularly at low temperatures (e.g., deep-sea conditions). In this study, a multicomponent strategy is adopted to enhance the configurational entropy of SPEs, resulting in a 2-fold reduction in Li cluster size and suppression of polymer crystallization. These changes facilitate rapid desolvation and promote the formation of a high-entropy solid electrolyte interphase. Owing to these benefits, the resulting SPEs exhibit an 8.5-fold improvement in ionic conductivity at -20 °C (0.17 mS cm<sup>-1</sup>). The Li/Cu cells exhibit an impressive average Coulombic efficiency (CE) of 98.59% over 300 cycles at room temperature, and maintain nearly unchanged CE even after a temperature drop to -20 °C. Furthermore, the Li/LiFePO<sub>4</sub> cells (N/P = 4) achieve a 13-fold capacity improvement and an average capacity retention of 91.49% after 500 cycles at -20°C (over 248 days). This strategy builds a new approach for high performance SPEs for practical low-temperature operation.
Authors
- Tiefeng Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0265-3454)
- Haodong Zhou
- Fanghao Zhou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-4458-8635)
- Yaoxian Song (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8146-2236)
- Weidong Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9556-3735)
- Weifeng Zou
- Junze Guo
- Xinyu Zhu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6545-7122)
Institutions
- National University of Singapore (SG)
- Zhejiang University of Science and Technology (CN)
- Zhejiang Ocean University (CN)
- Zhejiang University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Angewandte Chemie International Edition
- Published
- 2025-09-25
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202511612
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Advanced Battery Materials and Technologies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.73