Synergistic Gelation of Silica Nanoparticles and a Sorbitol-Based Molecular Gelator to Yield Highly-Conductive Free-Standing Gel Electrolytes

Lithium-ion batteries have emerged as the preferred type of rechargeable batteries, but there is a need to improve the performance of the electrolytes therein. Specifically, the challenge is to obtain electrolytes with the mechanical rigidity of solids but with liquid-like conductivities. In this study, we report a class of nanostructured gels that are able to offer this unique combination of properties. The gels are prepared by utilizing the synergistic interactions between a molecular gelator, 1,3:2,4-di-O-methyl-benzylidene-d-sorbitol (MDBS), and a nanoscale particulate material, fumed silica (FS). When MDBS and FS are combined in a liquid consisting of propylene carbonate with dissolved lithium perchlorate salt, the liquid electrolyte is converted into a free-standing gel due to the formation of a strong MDBS-FS network. The gels exhibit elastic shear moduli around 1000 kPa and yield stresses around 11 kPaboth values considerably exceed those obtainable by MDBS or FS alone in the same liquid. At the same time, the gel also exhibits electrochemical properties comparable to the parent liquid, including a high ionic conductivity (∼5 × 10–3 S/cm at room temperature) and a wide electrochemical stability window (up to 4.5 V).