Insights into quasi solid-state polymer electrolyte: The influence of succinonitrile on polyvinylene carbonate electrolyte in view of electrochemical applications

Quasi solid-state composite polymer electrolytes have generated much interest due to their high ionic conductivity and stable interfacial compatibility with electrodes. However, they suffer from the balance of liquid plasticizer content and ionic conductivity to retard potential safety issues. In this paper, a polyvinylene carbonate (PVCA)-based quasi solid-state composite polymer electrolyte for ambient-temperature lithium-ion battery is proposed, wherein succinonitrile (SN) serves as the multifunctional component to increase the ionic conductivity. The study indicates that SN can plasticize the polymer electrolyte, coordinate with lithium-ion, and modulate the molecular weight of the polymer. The fabricated PVCA–SN polymer electrolyte delivers an ionic conductivity up to 4.5 × 10^–4 S/cm at 25°C. The assembled lithium-ion battery based on PVCA electrolyte demonstrates an excellent rate performance and high-capacity retention at ambient temperature. The proposition of PVCA-based quasi solid-state composite polymer electrolyte provides a resultful strategy for high-performance rechargeable lithium batteries.