Gel electrolytes based on poly(acrylonitrile)/sulpholane with hybrid TiO2/SiO2 filler for advanced lithium polymer batteries

•Paper describes properties of gel electrolyte based on PAN with TMS and TiO2-SiO2.•The TiO2-SiO2 oxide composite was precipitated in the emulsion system and used as the fillers.•The capacity of the graphite anode depends on the current rate and the amount of TiO2-SiO2.•For PE3 electrolyte was obtained practical capacity more than 90% of the theoretical capacity.

This paper describes the synthesis and properties of a new type of ceramic fillers for composite polymer gel electrolytes. Hybrid TiO2-SiO2 ceramic powders have been obtained by co-precipitation from titanium(IV) sulfate solution using sodium silicate as the precipitating agent. The resulting submicron-size powders have been applied as fillers for composite polymer gel electrolytes for Li-ion batteries based on polyacrylonitrile (PAN) membranes. The powders and gel electrolytes have been examined structurally and electrochemically, showing favorable properties in terms of electrolyte uptake and electrochemical characteristics in Li-ion cells.