UC San Diego

Li-ion battery has dominated the portable electronic market due to its high energy density. Li-ion battery is a complex system where each of its components should be compatible with each other. Polymer binder, although as an inactive component in a cell, plays an important role for battery performance. Polyethylene oxide (PEO) as an ionic conductive polymer has demonstrated its use in gel polymer batteries and solid state batteries. However, there are concerns about its compatibility with layered oxide material as well as stability under high voltage. This thesis studied the compatibility of PEO as a binder for LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2 cathode and the stability of PEO up to 4.4V.