Electrochemical properties and performance of poly(acrylonitrile)-based polymer electrolyte for Li/LiCoO2 cells

It has been demonstrated that LiCoO2 is a very attractive cathode active material for lithium rechargeable cells. Poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN)-based polymer electrolyte is used for Li/LiCoO2 cells. PAN-based polymer electrolyte shows ionic conductivity of the order 1 mS cm−1 at room temperature, irrespective of time evolution, and wide electrochemical stability up to 4.3 V (versus Li+/Li). An LiCoO2 composite cathode containing 4 wt.% conductive material displays a good cycling performance. From a.c. impedance results, the interfacial resistance of Li/LiCoO2 cells is dominated by the passive layer formed at the lithium/polymer electrolyte interface.