Network‐Driven Ion Transport in Robust In Situ Polymerized Electrolyte‐Integrated Cathodes for Long‐Life Structural Batteries in Intelligent Sensing Platforms
The limited cycle life of solid-state lithium-ion batteries is largely attributed to the low ionic conductivity and poor mechanical strength of solid electrolytes, as well as unstable electrode/electrolyte interfaces. Herein, a solid-state electrolyte synthesized via in situ polymerization of bisphenol A ethoxylate dimethacrylate (E2BADMA) and poly(ethylene oxide) diacrylate (PEGDA) in LiTFSI-carbonate-based electrolytes is reported, achieving high ionic conductivity and mechanical robustness. By combining density functional theory (DFT) simulations and experimental validation, a previously unidentified network-enhanced transport mechanism is uncovered, whereby the poly(E2BADMA) chains not only enhance mechanical integrity but also introduce abundant active sites for Li<sup>+</sup> transport. Leveraging these properties, an integrated solid electrolyte/cathode architecture with excellent electrochemical performance and high stiffness is constructed. When incorporated into full cells, the electrolyte facilitates the formation of robust electrode/electrolyte interfaces, significantly improving their interfacial stability and enabling long-term cycling. The resulting solid-state lithium-ion batteries display stable performance over 300 cycles with negligible capacity fading. Moreover, the solid electrolyte enables the development of structural batteries which retain ≈100 mAh g<sup>-1</sup> after 120 cycles. When deployed as load-bearing elements in a conceptual electric vehicle frame, these structural batteries reliably power movable platforms and multiple sensors, showcasing their potential in intelligent, multifunctional, and energy-efficient transport systems.
Authors
- R.-Y. Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-8769-0279)
- Xiang Xu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0736-4769)
- Yiu‐Wing Mai (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9141-2793)
- Yu Fu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2740-6794)
- Yifan Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8433-3210)
- Zehua Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-4593-4144)
Institutions
- Tongji University (CN)
- Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (China) (CN)
- Hong Kong Polytechnic University (HK)
- East China University of Science and Technology (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Advanced Materials
- Published
- 2025-11-02
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202516673
- Primary Topic
- Advanced Battery Materials and Technologies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities