Asian Scientist (Jul. 4, 2013) – Researchers in South Korea have described a new electrolyte gel that can be used to make safer batteries.
Electrolytes are essential components of supercapacitors, batteries and fuel cells. The most widely used electrolytes are liquids since their ionic conductivity characteristics are better than solid-state electrolytes.
However, the possibility of liquid leakage coupled with their explosive nature has resulted in safety concerns, spurring calls for the development of solid-state electrolytes that are safe from explosions caused by high temperature and overcharge.
The main obstacle to the use of solid-state electrolytes is their low ionic conductivity, which limits their use in electrochemical cells.
In their study, published in Scientific Reports, the researchers described an organogel polymer electrolyte characterized by a ionic conductivity that is comparable to liquid-state elctrolytes.
“We believe that this new type of electrolyte gel provides us with design flexibility in devices as well as enhanced safety and stability to electro-chemical devices,” said Professor Hyun-Kon Song, a senior author of the paper.
The article can be found at: Kim et al. (2013) A Physical Organogel Electrolyte: Characterized By In Situ Thermo-Irreversible Gelation And Single-Ion-Predominent Conduction.
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Source: UNIST; Photo: AndyArmstrong/Flickr.
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