Lithium Metal Polymer Electrolyte Batteries: Opportunities and Challenges

Among so-called "next generation" battery technologies, lithium metal batteries (LMBs) enabled by solid-state electrolytes are considered key to achieve rechargeable batteries with higher energy density and safety than current lithium ion batteries (LIBs). This article briefly evaluates various aspects of polymer electrolytes from history, macromolecular architecture, material classification, and electrode optimization, with special emphasis on solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) and single ion conducting polymeric electrolytes. Representative interfaces and interphases as well as corresponding engineering strategies adopted for the anticipated goals are briefly summarized, including various approaches adopted to mitigate the shortcomings at the interfaces. Significant weight should be given for research and development of SPEs, as they could be an enabler for solid-state LMBs with attractive performance and made by comparatively easy electrode and cell processing techniques.