Self-healing gel-type electrolyte composite

A battery cell comprising:

• an anode;
• a cathode;
• and
• a self-healing gel-electrolyte membrane disposed between the anode and the cathode, the self-healing membrane prepared by a process including:
• preparing a mixture including a matrix precursor portion and an electrolyte portion, the matrix precursor portion including a gel-forming precursor and a gel-forming initiator, the gel-forming portion being a branched acrylate, wherein the mixture is a ternary mixture further comprising a self-healing portion, the self-healing portion including a self-healing precursor that is flowable and a self-healing initiator;
• and
• forming the self-healing gel-electrolyte membrane by triggering polymerization of the gel-forming precursor and the gel-forming initiator to thereby form a polymer matrix, the polymer matrix including the electrolyte portion disposed substantially throughout the polymer matrix, the polymer matrix including a plurality of gel-forming active sites, wherein the self-healing portion is disposed substantially throughout the polymer matrix.