Abuse-Tolerant Electrolytes for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Safety concerns significantly hinder the advancement of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), especially under misuse or abuse conditions.
• Current liquid electrolytes in LIBs are prone to safety issues, limiting their widespread adoption and performance.
• Developing abuse-tolerant electrolytes is crucial for enhancing the safety and reliability of LIB technology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advancements in abuse-tolerant electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries.
• To explore electrolytes designed to mitigate mechanical, electrochemical, and thermal abuse.
• To provide insights into electrolyte functioning, composition-property relationships, and future applications.

Main Methods:

• Review of literature on electrolytes with shear thickening properties for mechanical abuse tolerance.
• Analysis of electrolytes incorporating redox shuttle additives to suppress electrochemical abuse.
• Examination of electrolytes with flame-retardant additives for resistance to thermal abuse.

Main Results:

• Small amounts of additives can significantly improve electrolyte abuse resistance.
• Shear thickening, redox shuttle, and flame-retardant additives offer distinct protective mechanisms.
• Electrolyte modifications can enhance safety without negatively impacting electrochemical performance.

Conclusions:

• Abuse-tolerant electrolytes represent a promising strategy for improving lithium-ion battery safety.
• Understanding electrolyte composition-property relationships is key to designing effective solutions.
• Further research into practical applications, challenges, and opportunities is warranted for commercialization.