Ultrathin Polymer Composite Electrolyte With Dual‐Scale Reinforcement: Integrating <scp>PTFE</scp> Framework and In Situ Silica

ABSTRACT Developing ultrathin yet mechanically robust polymer electrolytes remain a key challenge for enabling practical solid‐state lithium batteries. Here, we report a scalable engineering strategy to construct an ultrathin (~19 μm) composite polymer electrolyte (PPLS) by integrating a macroporous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) scaffold with an in situ formed silica (SiO 2 ) nanonetwork within a poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) matrix. The PTFE framework provides macroscopic dimensional stability and mechanical reinforcement, while the SiO 2 network, generated via a controlled in situ hydrolysis process, effectively reduces polymer crystallinity and enhances ionic transport. The resulting PPLS membrane exhibits a tensile strength of approximately 75 MPa, an ionic conductivity of 1.6 × 10 −4 S cm −1 at 60°C, and a Li + transference number of 0.60. This electrolyte enables stable L//Li cycling for more than 700 h and demonstrates excellent rate capability in both LiFePO 4 and NCM523 full cells. The hierarchical PTFE/SiO 2 architecture exemplifies how rational multi‐scale design can simultaneously achieve structural robustness and efficient ionic mobility, providing a promising and scalable pathway for the development of high‐performance polymer composites for energy storage applications.

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Publication Details

Journal
Polymer Engineering and Science
Published
2026-02-05
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/pen.70404
Primary Topic
Advanced Battery Materials and Technologies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Ultrathin Polymer Composite Electrolyte With Dual‐Scale Reinforcement: Integrating PTFE Framework and In Situ Silica

Junyan Tang, Mi Tang, Yifan Zhang, Zhengbang Wang et al.
Polymer Engineering and Science
Advanced Battery Materials and Technologies
article

Ultrathin Polymer Composite Electrolyte With Dual‐Scale Reinforcement: Integrating PTFE Framework and In Situ Silica

Junyan Tang, Mi Tang, Yifan Zhang, Zhengbang Wang, Dehua Wang, Xiaoli Chen, Jiming Huang
article en

Abstract

ABSTRACT Developing ultrathin yet mechanically robust polymer electrolytes remain a key challenge for enabling practical solid‐state lithium batteries. Here, we report a scalable engineering strategy to construct an ultrathin (~19 μm) composite polymer electrolyte (PPLS) by integrating a macroporous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) scaffold with an in situ formed silica (SiO 2 ) nanonetwork within a poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) matrix. The PTFE framework provides macroscopic dimensional stability and mechanical reinforcement, while the SiO 2 network, generated via a controlled in situ hydrolysis process, effectively reduces polymer crystallinity and enhances ionic transport. The resulting PPLS membrane exhibits a tensile strength of approximately 75 MPa, an ionic conductivity of 1.6 × 10 −4 S cm −1 at 60°C, and a Li + transference number of 0.60. This electrolyte enables stable L//Li cycling for more than 700 h and demonstrates excellent rate capability in both LiFePO 4 and NCM523 full cells. The hierarchical PTFE/SiO 2 architecture exemplifies how rational multi‐scale design can simultaneously achieve structural robustness and efficient ionic mobility, providing a promising and scalable pathway for the development of high‐performance polymer composites for energy storage applications.

Polymer Engineering and Science
Wuhan Polytechnic University (CN), Tongren University (CN), Ministry of Education (MV), Hubei University (CN)
National Natural Science Foundation of China, China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province
Affordable and clean energy
Openalex Percentile: Top 65%
Advanced Battery Materials and Technologies
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Ultrathin Polymer Composite Electrolyte With Dual‐Scale Reinforcement: Integrating <scp>PTFE</scp> Framework and In Situ Silica — Junyan Tang, Mi Tang, et al. · Polymer Engineering and Science (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS