Novel polymer electrolytes for secondary lithium batteries

摘要

Eltron Research Inc. is developing a new lithium ion conducting polymer electrolyte which holds promise of achieving both higher ionic conductivity and improved elastomeric properties over current state-of-the-art polymer electrolytes. Approachused for the synthesis of this material was based upon the modification of polysiloxanes with cyclic carbonate side chains by multi-functional silanes acting as chain extenders and cross-linkers. This strategy exploits the idea that carbonate oxygens,within a single phase carbonate-siloxane polymer matrix, will facilitate extensive ionic dissociation of introduced lithium salts, and that furthermore elastomeric behavior of the matrix under ambient temperature conditions will lead to enhanced mobilityof lithium ions. This would permit small inter-electrode distances to be achieved within portable secondary lithium batteries incorporating these new polymer electrolytes.