ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of most of the available reports on polymer graphene composite electrolytes for room-temperature as well as high-temperature applications. If a high and reversible specific energy in lithium ion batteries (LIBs) is to be attained, it is essential that the repetitive deposition and stripping of Li remains highly reversible during the electrochemical process. Graphene is a single-atom-thick, 2D sheet of sp2 hybridized carbon, either graphene oxide (GO) or reduced graphene oxide. GO has been utilized as functional filler material for preparing polymer nanocomposites for versatile applications, including polymer electrolytes, owing to its unique chemical and physical properties. The unique properties of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), such as their high dielectric constant and strong Li+-ion solvating capability, makes them suitable for electrolyte application in LIBs. The ionic conductivity and thermal stability of PEO-based solid polymer electrolytes are significantly improved by the incorporation of graphene nanosheet as filler-cum-Li+-ion-conduction promoter.
