Electrolyte membrane
Systems and methods of providing an electrolyte membrane for metal batteries are described. According to aspects of the disclosure, a method includes preparing a mixture including an electrolyte portion and a matrix precursor portion, forming an electrolyte membrane by initiating polymerization of the gel-forming precursor and the gel-forming initiator to thereby form a polymer matrix, and disposing the electrolyte membrane between an anode and a cathode. The matrix precursor portion includes a gel-forming precursor and a gel-forming initiator. The electrolyte portion is disposed substantially throughout the polymer matrix.
1. A method comprising:
preparing a mixture including:
an electrolyte portion;
a matrix precursor portion including a gel-forming precursor and a gel-forming initiator; and
a self-healing portion including a self-healing precursor that is flowable and a self-healing initiator;
applying the mixture to surfaces of a battery component;
after applying, selectively polymerizing the mixture to form a self-healing gel-electrolyte membrane on less than all of the surfaces;
wherein selectively polymerizing includes initiating polymerization of the gel-forming precursor and the gel-forming initiator to thereby form a polymer matrix, wherein the electrolyte portion and the self-healing portion are disposed substantially throughout the polymer matrix and the polymer matrix includes a plurality of gel-forming active sites;
wherein the polymer matrix has a first edge and a second edge opposite the first edge, and further wherein the self-healing portion is non-uniformly distributed throughout the polymer matrix such that the self-healing portion is loaded more heavily towards the first edge and the second edge; and
after selectively polymerizing, removing a remaining, unpolymerized portion of the mixture from the battery component.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gel-forming initiator is a thermal initiator.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the thermal initiator is selected from the group consisting of azobisisobutyronitrile, 1,1′-azobis(cyclohexanecarbonitrile), benzoyl peroxide, and di-tert-butyl peroxide.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the thermal initiator is azobisisobutyronitrile.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gel-forming initiator is a UV initiator.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the UV initiator is a phenone compound.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the UV initiator is selected from the group consisting of 1,1-diphenylmethanone, 4,4′-dihydroxybenzophenone, acetophenone, anisoin, benzil, benzoin, 2-benzyl-2-(dimethylamino)-4′-morpholinobutyrophenone, camphorquinone, 4′-ethoxyacetophenone, methybenzoylformate, 2-methyl-4′-(methylthio)-2-morpholinopropiophenone, and thioxanthen-9-one.
8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the UV initiator is 1,1-diphenylmethanone.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gel-forming initiator is an electron-beam initiator.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the electron-beam initiator is a diaryliodonium salt or a triarylsulfonium salt.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the diaryliodonium salt or the triarylsulfonium salt includes a counter ion selected from the group consisting of hexafluoroarsenate, hexafluoroantimonate, hexafluorophosphate, and tetrafluoroborate.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the electron-beam initiator is diaryliodonium hexafluoroantimonate.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the mixture includes at least one of slurry coating, spray coating, or dip coating.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gel-forming precursor is a branched acrylate.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the branched acrylate includes a functional moiety selected from the group consisting of a carboxylic acid and an ester.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the electrolyte portion includes a lithium-containing salt selected from the group consisting of lithium perchlorate (LiClO 4 ), lithium hexafluoroarsenate (V) (LiAsF 6 ), lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF 6 ), lithium tetrafluoroborate (LiBF 4 ), lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiC 2 F 6 NO 4 S 2 ) (“LiTFSI”), and combinations thereof.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the battery component is selected from the group consisting of an anode, a cathode, and a separator.
18. A battery cell comprising:
an anode;
a cathode spaced apart from the anode; and
a self-healing gel-electrolyte membrane formed by the method of claim 1 , wherein the battery component is selected from the group consisting of the anode, the cathode, and a separator disposed between the anode and the cathode.