Enabling High-Voltage Lithium Metal Batteries by Manipulating Solvation Structure in Ester Electrolyte

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Lithium metal anodes offer high energy density for next-generation batteries.
• Dendritic growth and low Coulombic efficiency in ester solvents hinder lithium metal battery development.
• High-voltage operation is desirable but challenging for lithium metal batteries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance the performance of lithium metal batteries, particularly in ester-based electrolytes.
• To address the challenges of dendritic growth and low Coulombic efficiency.
• To enable stable high-voltage operation of lithium metal batteries.

Main Methods:

• Manipulating electrolyte solvation structure using a high donor number solvent.
• Increasing the solubility of lithium nitrate (LiNO3) in ester-based electrolytes.
• Conducting galvanostatic lithium plating/stripping cycles and full-cell battery tests.

Main Results:

• Achieved enhanced solubility of lithium nitrate in ester-based electrolytes.
• Demonstrated excellent Coulombic efficiency up to 98.8% with LiNO3 additive.
• Observed stable cycling performance in a full-cell lithium metal battery with a lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide cathode.

Conclusions:

• Manipulating electrolyte solvation is an effective strategy for high-voltage lithium metal batteries.
• High concentration of LiNO3 additive significantly improves Coulombic efficiency.
• This approach facilitates the development of stable and high-performance lithium metal batteries.