A 3D Nanostructured Hydrogel-Framework-Derived High-Performance Composite Polymer Lithium-Ion Electrolyte

Solid-state electrolytes have emerged as a promising alternative to existing liquid electrolytes for next generation Li-ion batteries for better safety and stability. Of various types of solid electrolytes, composite polymer electrolytes exhibit acceptable Li-ion conductivity due to the interaction between nanofillers and polymer. Nevertheless, the agglomeration of nanofillers at high concentration has been a major obstacle for improving Li-ion conductivity. In this study, we designed a three-dimensional (3D) nanostructured hydrogel-derived Li_0.35La_0.55TiO₃ (LLTO) framework, which was used as a 3D nanofiller for high-performance composite polymer Li-ion electrolyte. The systematic percolation study revealed that the pre-percolating structure of LLTO framework improved Li-ion conductivity to 8.8×10⁻⁵ S cm⁻¹ at room temperature.