Poly(4-hydroxybutyl acrylate) or Poly(4-hydroxybutyl methacrylate)-based gel polymer electrolyte and method for manufacturing the same

High-Adhesion Gel Polymer Electrolyte Based on In-Situ Photopolymerization of Hydroxyl-Group Hydrogen Bonding

This technology involves the in-situ photopolymerization of 4-hydroxybutyl acrylate (HBA) or 4-hydroxybutyl methacrylate (HBMA) monomers with a cross-linking agent directly on the electrode. This forms a gel polymer electrolyte that enhances adhesion and ionic conductivity through hydrogen bonding of the hydroxyl (-OH) groups.

Conventional liquid electrolytes pose safety risks such as leakage and fire hazards. Furthermore, standard gel polymer electrolytes often suffer from high interfacial resistance due to limited contact area with the electrode and struggle to achieve the sufficient adhesion required for flexible batteries.

This technology utilizes a pre-gel solution containing HBA or HBMA monomers mixed with acrylate/methacrylate-based cross-linking agents. By applying this to the electrode and performing in-situ polymerization, a viscoelastic solid gel electrolyte with a tanδ of 1 or less is obtained. The resulting electrolyte fills the gaps between electrode particles seamlessly, providing high adhesion and ionic conductivity exceeding 10^-3 S/cm. It is suitable for flexible batteries, thin-film batteries for wearable devices, and pouch-type lithium secondary batteries where leakage prevention is critical, enabling the creation of cells that remain intact even under repeated bending.

‍

‍

Key Features:

• Gel polymer electrolyte comprising a cross-linking agent and a polymer formed by the polymerization of 4-hydroxybutyl acrylate or 4-hydroxybutyl methacrylate monomers
• Viscoelastic gel electrolyte maintaining a tanδ value (defined as the ratio of loss modulus to storage modulus) of 1 or less
• Step of creating a pre-gel solution by adding monomers, a cross-linking agent, and a polymerization initiator to a salt-containing electrolyte solution
• In-situ process step of applying the pre-gel solution onto the electrode material and inducing polymerization in place

‍