Research Progresses of in situ Polymerized Electrolytes for Solid-state Lithium Metal Batteries

In the next-generation battery systems,solid-state lithium metal batteries possesses high energy density, which are also expected to avoid the potential safety issues such as combustion and explosion faced by current commercial batteries. However, the poor solid-solid contacts between solid-state electrolytes and electrodes are crucial challenges to hinder their practical applications. In recent years, the in situ polymerized electrolytes prepared by the in situ polymerization reactions inside the battery have multiple advantages for solid-state lithium metal batteries,including improved solid-solid interface compatibility via interface integration, Li dendrite suppression, inhibited dissolution/shuttle of cathode transition metal ions/polysulfides/redox mediators and enhanced electro-chemical performances. This review firstly discusses the reaction mechanism of polymerized electrolytes,and then analyzes the state-of-the-art in situ polymerized electrolytes. Furthermore,the recent research progresses of in situ polymerized electrolytes in solid-state lithium metal batteries is summarized,emphasizing the important roles in the battery cycling. Finally,the conclusion and future prospects on the commercial application of in situ polymerized electrolytes are presented.