Hybrid polymer electrolyte for Li–O2 batteries

Abstract

Li–O2 batteries have attracted much attention because of their high specific energy. However, safety problem generated mainly from the flammable organic liquid electrolytes have hindered the commercial use of Li–O2 batteries. One of the competitive alternatives is polymer electrolytes due to their flexibility and non-flammable property. Moreover, the hybrid polymer electrolyte with enhanced electrochemical properties would be achieved by incorporating inorganic filler, liquid plasticizer and redox mediator into the polymer. While most researches of the hybrid polymer electrolyte focused on Li-ion batteries, few of them took account into its application in Li–O2 batteries. In this review, we mainly discuss hybrid polymer electrolytes for Li–O2 batteries with different composition. The critical issues including conductivity and stability of electrolytes are also discussed in detail. Our review provides some insights of hybrid polymer electrolytes for Li–O2 batteries and offers necessary guidelines for designing the suitable hybrid polymer electrolyte for Li–O2 batteries as well. Keywords: Li–O2 battery, Hybrid polymer electrolyte, Inorganic filler, Liquid plasticizer, Redox mediator