Bacterial cellulose reinforced polymer electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries

A sandwich-like polyethylene oxide (PEO)-based polymer electrolyte membrane with a thickness of only 60 μm is fabricated. The electrolyte is composed of a porous bacterial cellulose (BC) membrane, polymer matrix and lithium salt, fabricated by only one-step approach. The BC membrane provides strong mechanical property and physically prevents the lithium dendrite from unrestricted growth. Meanwhile, the presence of polar small molecule organics can not only increase the flexibility of polymer chain segments to enhance ion transport capacity, but also obtain a “soft contact” between the electrolyte–electrode. The BPP60% electrolyte shows enhanced electrochemical performance and LiFePO₄/Li cell processes reliable charge–discharge cycle performance.