Enhanced Capacity Retention of Li(3)V(2)(PO(4))(3)-Cathode-Based Lithium Metal Battery Using SiO(2)-Scaffold-Confined Ionic Liquid as Hybrid Solid-State Electrolyte

Li(3)V(2)(PO(4))(3) (LVP) is one of the candidates for high-energy-density cathode materials matching lithium metal batteries due to its high operating voltage and theoretical capacity. However, the inevitable side reactions of LVP with a traditional liquid-state electrolyte under high voltage, as well as the uncontrollable growth of lithium dendrites, worsen the cycling performance. Herein, a hybrid solid-state electrolyte is prepared by the confinement of a lithium-containing ionic liquid with a mesoporous SiO(2) scaffold, and used for a LVP-cathode-based lithium metal battery. The solid-state electrolyte not only exhibits a high ionic conductivity of 3.14 × 10(−4) S cm(−1) at 30 °C and a wide electrochemical window of about 5 V, but also has good compatibility with the LVP cathode material. Moreover, the cell paired with a solid-state electrolyte exhibits good reversibility and can realize a stable operation at a voltage of up to 4.8 V, and the discharge capacity is well-maintained after 100 cycles, which demonstrates excellent capacity retention. As a contrast, the cell paired with a conventional liquid-state electrolyte shows only an 87.6% discharge capacity retention after 100 cycles. In addition, the effectiveness of a hybrid solid-state electrolyte in suppressing dendritic lithium is demonstrated. The work presents a possible choice for the use of a hybrid solid-state electrolyte compatible with high-performance cathode materials in lithium metal batteries.