Interfacial engineering for stabilizing polymer electrolytes with 4V cathodes in lithium metal batteries at elevated temperature

Abstract Poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) polymer electrolytes are promising candidates for next-generation rechargeable lithium batteries. However, the poor interfacial stability between 4 V cathodes and PEO electrolytes impedes their applications in 4 V lithium batteries with high energy density. Here, we demonstrate a facile and effective strategy to enhance the interfacial stability by the synergy of Li1.5Al0.5Ge1.5(PO4)3 (LAGP) coating on the cathode surface, and salt combination in the electrolyte, even with a cut-off voltage of 4.25–4.4 V vs. Li+/Li. Nano-LAGP coated Li|PEO|LiCoO2 cell delivers stable cycling with a capacity retention of 81.9%/400 cycles and 84.7%/200 cycles at 60 °C when charged to 4.25 and 4.3 V in pure polyether electrolyte, respectively. Steady cycling is also demonstrated at room temperature and with LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 (NCM523) cathode. This work offers a viable and scalable approach to improve the stability between PEO electrolytes and 4 V cathodes and open up new possibilities for practical application of 4 V lithium metal batteries.