Flexible solid electrolyte, all-solid-state lithium battery including the flexible solid electrolyte, and method of preparing the flexible solid electrolyte

Abstract

A flexible solid electrolyte includes a first inorganic protective layer, an inorganic-organic composite electrolyte layer including an inorganic component and an organic component, and a second inorganic protective layer, where the inorganic-organic composite electrolyte layer is disposed between the first inorganic protective layer and the second inorganic protective layer, and the inorganic component and the organic component collectively form a continuous ion conducting path.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A flexible solid electrolyte comprising:
 a first inorganic protective layer;   an inorganic-organic composite electrolyte layer comprising an inorganic component and an organic component; and   a second inorganic protective layer,   wherein   the inorganic-organic composite electrolyte layer is disposed between the first inorganic protective layer and the second inorganic protective layer, and   the inorganic component and the organic component collectively form a continuous ion conducting path.   
     
     
         2 . The flexible solid electrolyte of  claim 1 , wherein
 each of the first inorganic protective layer and the second inorganic protective layer comprises at least one of lithium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, yttrium, lanthanum, titanium, zirconium, hafnium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, samarium, gadolinium, and yttrium; oxides, hydroxides, bromides, chlorides, fluorides, sulfides, nitrates, carbonates, sulfates, phosphates, oxalates, acetates thereof, and ionic liquids thereof.   
     
     
         3 . The flexible solid electrolyte of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first inorganic protective layer and the second inorganic protective layer has a thickness in a range of about 1 nanometer to about 100 micrometers. 
     
     
         4 . The flexible solid electrolyte of  claim 1 , wherein the inorganic-organic composite electrolyte layer comprises an inorganic electrolyte, an organic electrolyte or an ionic liquid. 
     
     
         5 . The flexible solid electrolyte of  claim 4 , wherein a weight ratio of the inorganic electrolyte with respect to the organic electrolyte is in a range of about 80:20 to about 20:80. 
     
     
         6 . The flexible solid electrolyte of  claim 1 , wherein the inorganic-organic composite electrolyte layer has a thickness in a range of about 10 nanometers to about 1,000 micrometer. 
     
     
         7 . The flexible solid electrolyte of  claim 4 , wherein the organic electrolyte comprises a polymer and a lithium salt. 
     
     
         8 . The flexible solid electrolyte of  claim 7 , wherein
 the polymer comprises at least one of polyethylene oxide (PEO), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polypropylene oxide, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyacrylonitrile (PVN), and polyester sulfide, derivatives thereof, and a polymer with an ionic-dissociable group.   
     
     
         9 . The flexible solid electrolyte of  claim 4 , wherein
 the inorganic component and the organic component of the inorganic-organic composite electrolyte layer has a core-shell structure,   one of the inorganic component and the organic component of the inorganic-organic composite electrolyte layer defines a core of the core-shell structure, and   the other of the inorganic component and the organic component of the inorganic-organic composite electrolyte layer defines a shell of the core-shell structure.   
     
     
         10 . The flexible solid electrolyte of  claim 1 , wherein
 the first inorganic protective layer, the second inorganic protective layer or the inorganic-organic composite electrolyte layer is provided using aerosol deposition such that the first inorganic protective layer, the second inorganic protective layer or the inorganic-organic composite electrolyte layer has a density in a range of about 0.3 gram per cubic centimeter to about 1.0 gram per cubic centimeter.   
     
     
         11 . An all-solid-state lithium battery comprising:
 a cathode;   an anode; and   a flexible solid electrolyte disposed between the cathode and the anode,   wherein the flexible solid electrolyte comprises:
 a first inorganic protective layer; 
 an inorganic-organic composite electrolyte layer comprising an inorganic component and an organic component; and 
 a second inorganic protective layer, 
 wherein 
 the inorganic-organic composite electrolyte layer is disposed between the first inorganic protective layer and the second inorganic protective layer, and 
 the inorganic component and the organic component collectively form a continuous ion conducting path. 
   
     
     
         12 . The all-solid-state lithium battery of  claim 11 , wherein
 each the first inorganic protective layer and the second inorganic protective layer comprises at least one of lithium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, yttrium, lanthanum, titanium, zirconium, hafnium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, samarium, gadolinium, and yttrium; oxides, hydroxides, bromides, chlorides, fluorides, sulfides, nitrates, carbonates, sulfates, phosphates, oxalates, and acetates thereof, and ionic liquids thereof.   
     
     
         13 . The all-solid-state lithium battery of  claim 11 , wherein each of the first inorganic protective layer and the second inorganic protective layer has a thickness in a range of about 1 nanometer to about 100 micrometers. 
     
     
         14 . The all-solid-state lithium battery of  claim 11 , wherein the inorganic-organic composite electrolyte layer comprises an inorganic electrolyte, an organic electrolyte or an ionic liquid. 
     
     
         15 . The all-solid-state lithium battery of  claim 14 , wherein a weight ratio of the inorganic electrolyte with respect to the organic electrolyte is in a range of about 80:20 to about 20:80. 
     
     
         16 . The all-solid-state lithium battery of  claim 11 , wherein the inorganic-organic composite electrolyte layer has a thickness of from about 10 nanometers to about 1,000 micrometer. 
     
     
         17 . The all-solid-state lithium battery of  claim 14 , wherein the organic electrolyte comprises a polymer and a lithium salt. 
     
     
         18 . The all-solid-state lithium battery of  claim 17 , wherein
 the polymer comprises at least one of polyethylene oxide (PEO), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polypropylene oxide, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyacrylonitrile (PVN), and polyester sulfide, derivatives thereof, and a polymer with an ionic-dissociable group.   
     
     
         19 . The all-solid-state lithium battery of  claim 14 , wherein
 the inorganic component and the organic component of the inorganic-organic composite electrolyte layer has a core-shell structure,   one of the inorganic component and the organic component of the inorganic-organic composite electrolyte layer defines a core of the core-shell structure, and   the other of the inorganic component and the organic component of the inorganic-organic composite electrolyte layer defines a shell of the core-shell structure.   
     
     
         20 . The all-solid-state lithium battery of  claim 11 , wherein
 the first inorganic protective layer, the second inorganic protective layer, or the inorganic-organic composite electrolyte layer is formed using aerosol deposition such that the first inorganic protective layer, the second inorganic protective layer or the inorganic-organic composite electrolyte layer has a density in a range of about 0.3 gram per cubic centimeter to about 1.0 gram per cubic centimeter.   
     
     
         21 . A method of preparing a flexible solid electrolyte, the method comprising:
 spraying a first inorganic protective layer forming material on a cathode to form a first inorganic protective layer;   spraying an inorganic-organic composite electrolyte layer forming material on the first inorganic protective layer to form an inorganic-organic composite electrolyte layer; and   spraying a second inorganic protective layer forming material on the inorganic-organic composite electrolyte layer to form a second inorganic protective layer.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein at least one of the spraying the first inorganic protective layer forming material, the spraying the inorganic-organic composite electrolyte layer forming material and the spraying the second inorganic protective layer forming material comprises using an aerosol deposition process.