Oxygen Redox Reaction in Ionic Liquid and Ionic Liquid-like Based Electrolytes: A Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy...

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Battery Technology

Background:

• Improving cathode interface stability is vital for high-performance lithium-oxygen (Li/O2) batteries.
• Electrolyte development is key to mitigating side reactions causing cathode passivation.
• The superoxide anion (O2•−) plays a critical role in Li/O2 battery chemistry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) as a tool for screening Li/O2 battery electrolytes.
• To evaluate the stability of the superoxide anion (O2•−) using SECM.
• To assess cathode passivation during oxygen redox reactions with SECM.

Main Methods:

• Utilized scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) for electrolyte analysis.
• Investigated electrolyte stability at a glassy carbon electrode.
• Examined electrolytes including PYR14TFSI and LiTFSI in different solvent systems (salt-in-solvent and solvent-in-salt).

Main Results:

• Demonstrated SECM's capability to assess O2•− stability.
• Showcased SECM's effectiveness in evaluating cathode passivation.
• Provided insights into electrolyte behavior in various compositions relevant to Li/O2 batteries.

Conclusions:

• SECM is a valuable analytical technique for screening Li/O2 battery electrolytes.
• Understanding O2•− stability and cathode passivation is crucial for battery development.
• The study highlights SECM's potential to accelerate the discovery of stable electrolytes for advanced batteries.