Journal of Materials Chemistry A
24 February 2026, Issue 13,
Page 7237 to 7828
Quasi-solid-state electrolytes (QSSEs) have attracted significant attention as a promising solution to safety and shuttle-effect issues in lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) owing to their high lithium-ion transference numbers (tLi+), which suppress lithium dendrite formation and enhance safety and electrochemical stability. In this study, a binder-free (BF) cathode with a QSSE is fabricated via in situ polymerization of 1,3-dioxolane into poly(1,3-dioxolane) (PDOL). The QSSE serves simultaneously as an electrolyte and a binder. Despite being BF, the electrode exhibits stable electrochemical performance and mechanical strength, even under deformation. The polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) cathode shows a lower initial capacity of 885.8 mAh g−1 because the PVDF binder impedes capillary absorption, preventing deep electrolyte infiltration and generating voids that hinder charge transport and reduce coulombic efficiency. The BF cathode achieves 1059.3 mAh g−1 at 0.2C owing to infiltration of polymerized PDOL into the porous structure, enhancing interfacial integration and wettability. This study is the first to employ PDOL as a bifunctional binder–solid polymer electrolyte in LSBs, exploiting its strong adhesion and high lithium-ion conductivity. The BF@QSSE pouch cell is exceptionally flexible and safe under cycling and mechanical abuse, demonstrating the potential of combining BF cathodes with in situ-formed PDOL to fabricate flexible LSBs.
- Ingyun Shin
- Yeong-Seok Oh
- Seung-Woo Seo
- Junyoung Heo
- Jeong-Jin Yang
- Moongook Jeong
- Jun-Woo Park
- Seongki Ahn
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2026/ta/d5ta08211k
Image created by minjeong Kim / Nanosphere
Journal of Materials Chemistry A
24 February 2026, Issue 13,
Page 7237 to 7828
Quasi-solid-state electrolytes (QSSEs) have attracted significant attention as a promising solution to safety and shuttle-effect issues in lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) owing to their high lithium-ion transference numbers (tLi+), which suppress lithium dendrite formation and enhance safety and electrochemical stability. In this study, a binder-free (BF) cathode with a QSSE is fabricated via in situ polymerization of 1,3-dioxolane into poly(1,3-dioxolane) (PDOL). The QSSE serves simultaneously as an electrolyte and a binder. Despite being BF, the electrode exhibits stable electrochemical performance and mechanical strength, even under deformation. The polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) cathode shows a lower initial capacity of 885.8 mAh g−1 because the PVDF binder impedes capillary absorption, preventing deep electrolyte infiltration and generating voids that hinder charge transport and reduce coulombic efficiency. The BF cathode achieves 1059.3 mAh g−1 at 0.2C owing to infiltration of polymerized PDOL into the porous structure, enhancing interfacial integration and wettability. This study is the first to employ PDOL as a bifunctional binder–solid polymer electrolyte in LSBs, exploiting its strong adhesion and high lithium-ion conductivity. The BF@QSSE pouch cell is exceptionally flexible and safe under cycling and mechanical abuse, demonstrating the potential of combining BF cathodes with in situ-formed PDOL to fabricate flexible LSBs.
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2026/ta/d5ta08211k
Image created by minjeong Kim / Nanosphere