Polymer‐Assisted Supercooled Lithium Salts: Nonflammable Single‐Ion Conducting Liquid Electrolytes for Next‐Generation Batteries

ABSTRACT Electrolytes that exhibit both high ionic conductivity and a near‐unity Li + transference number ( t Li ) are essential for next‐generation rechargeable batteries. Here, we present solvent‐free liquid electrolytes based on polymer‐assisted supercooled lithium salts that realize single‐ion conduction under ambient conditions. A trace amount of poly(methyl methacrylate) suppresses crystallization, stabilizing low‐melting Li salts in a deeply supercooled liquid state while retaining t Li ≈ 1. To further enhance ion transport, we employ a dual‐salt strategy, which lowers the glass transition temperature and increases ionic conductivity without compromising the near‐unity t Li . Despite moderate conductivity compared with conventional electrolytes, these supercooled salts suppress concentration overpotentials and support stable cycling in Li/LiCoO 2 cells. The intrinsic adhesive properties of the electrolytes enable the fabrication of binder‐free thick cathodes with high areal capacities, providing a scalable route to high‐energy‐density batteries. Furthermore, the solvent‐free nature of these electrolytes ensures intrinsic nonflammability and promotes the formation of robust inorganic‐rich interphases, indicating their potential applicability to lithium‐metal batteries. This work establishes polymer‐assisted supercooled lithium salts as a new class of nonflammable single‐ion conducting liquid electrolytes, bridging the gap between solid‐state and conventional liquid systems.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Energy Materials
Published
2025-11-28
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.202505229
Primary Topic
Advanced Battery Materials and Technologies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Polymer‐Assisted Supercooled Lithium Salts: Nonflammable Single‐Ion Conducting Liquid Electrolytes for Next‐Generation Batteries

Frederik Philippi, Saki Sawayama, Wataru Shinoda, Keisuke Shigenobu et al.
Advanced Energy Materials
Advanced Battery Materials and Technologies
article

Polymer‐Assisted Supercooled Lithium Salts: Nonflammable Single‐Ion Conducting Liquid Electrolytes for Next‐Generation Batteries

Frederik Philippi, Saki Sawayama, Wataru Shinoda, Keisuke Shigenobu, Shinji Kondou, Taku Sudoh, Kenta Fujii, Yosuke Ugata, Seiji Tsuzuki, Kazuhide Ueno, Yuna Matsuyama, Choji Niwamura
article en

Abstract

ABSTRACT Electrolytes that exhibit both high ionic conductivity and a near‐unity Li + transference number ( t Li ) are essential for next‐generation rechargeable batteries. Here, we present solvent‐free liquid electrolytes based on polymer‐assisted supercooled lithium salts that realize single‐ion conduction under ambient conditions. A trace amount of poly(methyl methacrylate) suppresses crystallization, stabilizing low‐melting Li salts in a deeply supercooled liquid state while retaining t Li ≈ 1. To further enhance ion transport, we employ a dual‐salt strategy, which lowers the glass transition temperature and increases ionic conductivity without compromising the near‐unity t Li . Despite moderate conductivity compared with conventional electrolytes, these supercooled salts suppress concentration overpotentials and support stable cycling in Li/LiCoO 2 cells. The intrinsic adhesive properties of the electrolytes enable the fabrication of binder‐free thick cathodes with high areal capacities, providing a scalable route to high‐energy‐density batteries. Furthermore, the solvent‐free nature of these electrolytes ensures intrinsic nonflammability and promotes the formation of robust inorganic‐rich interphases, indicating their potential applicability to lithium‐metal batteries. This work establishes polymer‐assisted supercooled lithium salts as a new class of nonflammable single‐ion conducting liquid electrolytes, bridging the gap between solid‐state and conventional liquid systems.

Advanced Energy MaterialsVol. 16(5)
Okayama University of Science (JP), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (US), Toyo University (JP), Yamaguchi University (JP), Yokohama National University (JP), Osaka Prefectural Toyonaka Support School (JP), Laboratoire de Chimie (FR)
Openalex Percentile: Top 63%
Advanced Battery Materials and Technologies
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.