Physically cross-linked gel electrolyte

1. A lithium ion battery that includes at least one electrochemical battery cell that comprises:

a negative electrode;

a positive electrode situated opposite the negative electrode; and

a physically cross-linked gel electrolyte disposed between confronting faces of the negative electrode and the positive electrode, the gel electrolyte comprising a block co-polymer host and a liquid electrolyte absorbed into the block co-polymer host, the block co-polymer host having poly(ethylene oxide) block units and physically cross-linkable block units selected from the group consisting of polyamide block units and poly(terephthalate)ester block units.

2. The electrochemical battery cell set forth in claim 1 , wherein the polyamide block units comprise poly(caprolactam) block units.

3. The electrochemical battery cell set forth in claim 1 , wherein the poly(terephthalate)ester block units comprise poly(ethylene terephthalate) block units or poly(butylene terephthalate) block units.

4. The electrochemical battery cell set forth in claim 1 , wherein the block co-polymer host has the chemical formula:

in which R is an alkylene bridge having 1 to 16 carbons, m ranges from 6 to 5000, and n ranges from 6 to 5000.

5. The electrochemical battery cell set forth in claim 4 , wherein the block co-polymer host has the chemical formula:

6. The electrochemical battery cell set forth in claim 1 , wherein the block co-polymer host has the chemical formula:

in which R 3 is an alkylene bridge having between 2 and 16 carbons, y ranges from 6 to 5000, and n ranges from 6 to 5000.

7. The method set forth in claim 6 , wherein the block co-polymer host has the chemical formula:

8. The electrochemical battery cell set forth in claim 1 , wherein the gel electrolyte has a thickness that ranges from about 5 μm to about 200 μm.

9. The electrochemical battery cell set forth in claim 1 , wherein the gel electrolyte further comprises physically blended poly(alkylene oxide).

10. The electrochemical battery cell set forth in claim 1 , wherein the gel electrolyte further comprises ceramic particles or polymer particles.

11. The electrochemical battery cell set forth in claim 1 , wherein the liquid electrolyte absorbed into the block co-polymer host comprises a lithium salt and an organic solvent.

12. The electrochemical battery cell set forth in claim 11 , wherein the lithium salt comprises at least one of LiClO 4 , LiAlCl 4 , LiI, LiBr, LiSCN, LiBF 4 , LiB(C 6 H 5 ) 4 , LiAsF 6 , LiCF 3 SO 3 , LiN(CF 3 SO 2 ) 2 , LiPF 6 , and a mixture that includes one or more of these salts.

13. The electrochemical battery cell set forth in claim 11 , wherein the organic solvent comprises at least one of a cyclic carbonate, an acyclic carbonate, an aliphatic carboxylic ester, a γ-lactone, an acyclic ether, a cyclic ether, or a mixture that includes one or more of these organic solvents.

14. A lithium ion battery that includes at least one electrochemical battery cell that comprises:

a negative electrode;

a positive electrode situated opposite the negative electrode; and

a physically cross-linked gel electrolyte disposed between confronting faces of the negative electrode and the positive electrode, the gel electrolyte comprising a block co-polymer host, poly(ethylene oxide) physically blended with the block co-polymer host, and a liquid electrolyte absorbed into the block co-polymer host and the physically blended poly(ethylene oxide), the block co-polymer host having one of the following chemical structures:

in which m ranges from 6 to 5000 and n ranges from 6 to 5000; or

in which y ranges from 6 to 5000 and n ranges from 6 to 5000.

15. The electrochemical battery cell set forth in claim 14 , wherein the gel electrolyte has a thickness that ranges about 10 μm to about 100 μm.

16. The electrochemical battery cell set forth in claim 14 , wherein the liquid electrolyte comprises a lithium salt and an organic solvent, wherein the lithium salt comprises at least one of LiClO 4 , LiAlCl 4 , LiI, LiBr, LiSCN, LiBF 4 , LiB(C 6 H 5 ) 4 , LiAsF 6 , LiCF 3 SO 3 , LiN(CF 3 SO 2 ) 2 , LiPF 6 , and a mixture that includes one or more of these salts, and wherein the organic solvent comprises at least one of a cyclic carbonate, an acyclic carbonate, an aliphatic carboxylic ester, a γ-lactone, an acyclic ether, a cyclic ether, or a mixture that includes one or more of these organic solvents.

17. A physically cross-linked gel electrolyte for use in an electrochemical battery cell of a lithium ion battery, the physically cross-linked gel electrolyte comprising:

a block co-polymer host that comprises poly(alkylene oxide) block units and physically cross-linkable block units, the poly(alkylene oxide) block units establishing soft domains and the physically cross-linkable block units interacting with one another to establish hard domains, and wherein the poly(alkylene oxide) block units have the chemical formula:

in which x ranges from 1 to 6;

poly(ethylene oxide) physically blended with the block co-polymer host; and

a liquid electrolyte absorbed into the block co-polymer host and the physically blended poly(ethylene oxide), the liquid electrolyte comprising a lithium salt and an organic solvent, wherein the soft domains have a greater affinity for liquid electrolyte absorption than the hard domains.

18. The physically cross-linked gel electrolyte set forth in claim 17 , wherein the physically cross-linkable block units are polyamide block units or poly(terephthalate)ester block units.

19. The physically cross-linked gel electrolyte set forth in claim 17 , wherein the gel electrolyte includes first and second opposed major faces shaped to engage spaced apart and confronting inner faces of a negative electrode and a positive electrode for an electrochemical battery cell of a lithium ion battery, and wherein the first and second major faces define a thickness of the gel electrolyte that ranges from about 5 μm to about 200 μm.

20. The physically cross-linked gel electrolyte set forth in claim 17 , wherein the poly(alkylene oxide) block units have the chemical formula:

in which the sum of d and w ranges from 2 to 6.