Atomic-scale understanding of highly conducting polymer electrolyte

Electrolyte is one of the key and most important components determining the performance of lithium-ion batteries. Until now, solid polymer electrolytes have attracted considerable attention due to the rapid development of the need for more safety and powerful lithium ion batteries. Despite their high stabilities and endurance, extremely low conductivity has hindered their applications. Here, we find that novel poly acrylic acid polymer-based electrolyte exhibits at least two orders of magnitude higher ionic conductivity compared with conventional solid polymer electrolytes. By combining molecular dynamic simulations with temperature dependent conductivity measurements, underlying mechanism will be addressed at the atomic scale in detail.