P. Butreddy, H. Rathnayake
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro,
United States
Keywords: tannic acid, natural polyphenols, metal-organic dendrimer frameworks, Lithium, ionic conduction, solid-state electrolyte
Summary:
The development of high-performance solid-state batteries poses many challenges. One of the main drawbacks is the low ionic conductivity of solid-state electrolytes, which is several orders of magnitude below the ionic conductivity of an average liquid electrolyte. Most liquid electrolytes have an ionic conductivity of around 10-2 S∙cm-1 at 25 °C, while a solid-state electrolyte with 10-4 S∙cm-1 ionic conductivity at room temperature is considered an achievement. However, to achieve the liquid electrolyte level of ionic conductivity for solid electrolytes, the discovery of novel materials with scalability, high abundance, and lightweight is needed to meet the future demand in solid-state batteries. The more radical and less common approach involves the development of bio-based solid-state electrolyte materials, which possess an oxygen-rich dendrimer framework with permanent porosity and a robust framework that facilitates lithium-ion conduction via a porous network. Herein for the first time, we have developed a lithium-coordinated metal-organic phenolate dendrimer framework (Li-MOPD-1) with robust and permanent porosity using a natural polyphenol, tannic acid. The colloidal stability, surface properties, and ionic conduction of lithium ions via interfacial interactions in the presence of plastic crystals as guest molecules are studied to evaluate the potential applicability of Li-MOPD-1 as a solid-state electrolyte material.