Innovative polymers for lithium-ion batteries

Abstract

This thesis reports two projects on the development of innovative polymers for lithium batteries. The objective of the first project was to improve the performance of the battery by replacing the conventional PVDF binder with a functional polymer that can improve Li-ion kinetics and transport. Two families of PDADMA-based poly(ionic liquid)s were synthesized and tested as binders. A decrease in the internal resistance, an increase in the capacity, and an improvement in the cycling stability in accelerating aging tests were shown compared to the PVDF-containing cell. Regarding the second project, the goal was to design a new family of single lithium-ion conducting polymer electrolytes composed of highly delocalized borate groups. The synthesis and characterizations were reported. High ionic conductivities were measured and the effects of the different substituents were studied. High lithium transference numbers were measured, and the first battery tests were presented.