POLYMER MICROSPHERES AS BINDERS FOR COMPOSITE ELECTROLYTES

Provided herein are composite electrolytes that include inorganic conductors and polar polymers. By providing the polar polymers as structures such as microspheres in a suspension in a non-polar solvent, the polar polymers can be used as binders in composites that include sulfide electrolytes. The resulting composites have high room temperature conductivities and good mechanical properties. Also provided are composites that include inorganic conductors and other polymers that are insoluble in non-polar solvents. Also provided are composites that include polar polymers and lithium argyrodite conductors and methods of processing the composites that result in high conductivity retention. Also provided are methods of forming composite electrolytes using suspensions of polymer microstructures in a processing solvent and the resulting composite electrolytes.