Novel gel polymer electrolyte for high-performance lithium–sulfur batteries

The ability to suppress the dissolution of lithium polysulfides in liquid electrolyte (LE) is emerging and scientifically challenging, representing an important endeavor toward successful commercialization of lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries. In this context, a common and effective strategy to address this challenge is to replace the LE with a gel polymer electrolyte (GPE). However, the limited ionic conductivity of state-of-the-art GPEs and poor electrode/GPE interfaces greatly restrict their implementation. Herein, we report, for the first time, a facile in-situ synthesis of pentaerythritol tetraacrylate (PETEA)-based GPE with an extremely high ionic conductivity (1.13×10−2 S cm−1). Quite intriguingly, even interfaced with a bare sulfur cathode, this GPE rendered the resulting polymer Li–S battery with a low electrode/GPE interfacial resistance, high rate capacity (601.2 mA h g−1 at 1 C) and improved capacity retention (81.9% after 400 cycles at 0.5 C). These remarkable performances can be ascribed to the immobilization of soluble polysulfides imparted by PETEA-based GPE and the construction of a robust integrated GPE/electrode interface. Notably, due to the tight adhesion between the PETEA-based GPE and electrodes, a high-performance flexible polymer Li–S battery was successfully crafted. This work therefore opens up a convenient, low-cost and effective way to substantially enhance the capability of Li–S batteries, a key step toward capitalizing on GPE for high-performance Li–S batteries.