Reinforced poly(ionic liquid)-in-salt electrolytes for highly stable solid-state Lithium metal batteries
Zhang S, Zeng G, Yu J, Horta S, Lu X, Sun Q, Ren Y, Ibáñez M, Llorca J, Biendicho JJ, Arbiol J, Ci L, Cabot A. 2026. Reinforced poly(ionic liquid)-in-salt electrolytes for highly stable solid-state Lithium metal batteries. Advanced Fiber Materials.
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Author
Zhang, Shengnan;
Zeng, Guifang;
Yu, Jing;
Horta, SharonaISTA;
Lu, Xuan;
Sun, Qing;
Ren, Yuchuan;
Ibáñez , MariaISTA 
;
Llorca, Jordi;
Biendicho, Jordi Jacas;
Arbiol, Jordi;
Ci, Lijie
All
;
Llorca, Jordi;
Biendicho, Jordi Jacas;
Arbiol, Jordi;
Ci, Lijie
All
Department
Abstract
Solid-state polymer electrolytes (SPEs) are promising for high-safety, high-energy-density lithium metal batteries, but their adoption is limited by low room-temperature ionic conductivity and insufficient mechanical robustness. This study reports an improved SPE architecture consisting of a three-dimensional (3D) polyacrylonitrile (PAN)–Li6.4La3Zr1.4Ta0.6O12 (LLZTO) fibrous skeleton infused with a polymer electrolyte ionic liquid (PIL), which promotes lithium-salt dissociation, accelerates Li+ transport, and enhances mechanical strength. The resulting SPE achieves an ionic conductivity of up to 0.51 mS cm−1. Li|Li symmetric cells using a 40-µm-thick SPE cycle stably for 2500 h at 0.2 mA cm−2 with a low overpotential of 30 mV. In Li|LiFePO4 (LFP) full cells, the electrolyte enables 86.8% capacity retention after 1000 cycles at 0.5 C and maintains stable operation at 130 °C. Flexible pouch-cell tests further confirm improved safety and durability under harsh conditions, highlighting the potential of this SPE design for high-voltage lithium metal batteries.
Publishing Year
Date Published
2026-09-08
Journal Title
Advanced Fiber Materials
Publisher
Springer
Acknowledgement
This work was financially supported by the Generalitat de Catalunya (2021SGR01581), the Major Innovation Projects for Integrating Science, Education & Industry of Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences) (Grant No. 2025ZDZX19) and the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Grant No. 2026M790106). ICN2 is supported by the Severo Ochoa program from Spanish MCIN/AEI (Grant No.: CEX2021-001214-S) and is funded by the CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya. ICN2 acknowledges funding from Generalitat de Catalunya 2021SGR00457. The authors thank support from the project AMaDE (PID2023-149158OB-C43), funded by MCIN/AEI/https://doi.org/10.13039/501100011033/ and by “ERDF A way of making Europe”, by the “European Union”. Part of the present work has been performed in the framework of Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Materials Science PhD program. JY has received funding from the CSC-UAB PhD scholarship program. ISTA co-authors acknowledge funding from the Werner Siemens Foundation. Authors acknowledge the use of instrumentation as well as the technical advice provided by the Joint Electron Microscopy Center at ALBA (JEMCA). ICN2 acknowledges funding from Grant IU16-014206 (METCAM-FIB) funded by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), with the support of the Ministry of Research and Universities, Generalitat de Catalunya. ICN2 is founding member of e-DREAM [51]. JL is a Serra Húnter Fellow and is grateful to the Academia Excellence program (Generalitat de Catalunya) and to projects MICIU/FEDER PID2024-156765OB-C21 and Maria de Maeztu Units of Excellence Programme CEX2023-001300-M funded by MCIN/AEI https://doi.org/10.13039/501100011033.Open Access funding provided by CERCA through the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature.
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Cite this
Zhang S, Zeng G, Yu J, et al. Reinforced poly(ionic liquid)-in-salt electrolytes for highly stable solid-state Lithium metal batteries. Advanced Fiber Materials. 2026. doi:10.1007/s42765-026-00775-2
Zhang, S., Zeng, G., Yu, J., Horta, S., Lu, X., Sun, Q., … Cabot, A. (2026). Reinforced poly(ionic liquid)-in-salt electrolytes for highly stable solid-state Lithium metal batteries. Advanced Fiber Materials. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42765-026-00775-2
Zhang, Shengnan, Guifang Zeng, Jing Yu, Sharona Horta, Xuan Lu, Qing Sun, Yuchuan Ren, et al. “Reinforced Poly(Ionic Liquid)-in-Salt Electrolytes for Highly Stable Solid-State Lithium Metal Batteries.” Advanced Fiber Materials. Springer, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42765-026-00775-2.
S. Zhang et al., “Reinforced poly(ionic liquid)-in-salt electrolytes for highly stable solid-state Lithium metal batteries,” Advanced Fiber Materials. Springer, 2026.
Zhang S, Zeng G, Yu J, Horta S, Lu X, Sun Q, Ren Y, Ibáñez M, Llorca J, Biendicho JJ, Arbiol J, Ci L, Cabot A. 2026. Reinforced poly(ionic liquid)-in-salt electrolytes for highly stable solid-state Lithium metal batteries. Advanced Fiber Materials.
Zhang, Shengnan, et al. “Reinforced Poly(Ionic Liquid)-in-Salt Electrolytes for Highly Stable Solid-State Lithium Metal Batteries.” Advanced Fiber Materials, Springer, 2026, doi:10.1007/s42765-026-00775-2.
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