A lotus root-like porous nanocomposite polymer electrolyte

A lotus root-like porous nanocomposite polymer electrolyte (NCPE) based on poly(vinylidene difluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) [P(VDF-HFP)] copolymer and TiO2 nanoparticles was easily prepared by a non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) process. The formation mechanism of the lotus root-like porous structure is explained by a qualitative ternary phase diagram. The resulting NCPE had a high ionic conductivity up to 1.21 × 10−3 S cm−1 at room temperature, and exhibited a high electrochemical stability potential of 5.52 V (vs. Li/Li+), lithium ion transference number of 0.65 and 22.89 kJ mol−1 for the apparent activation energy for transportation of ions. It is of great potential application in polymer lithium ion batteries.