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Synthesis of Ionic Liquid Based Electrolytes, Assembly of Li-ion Batteries, and Measurements of Performance at High Temperature
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Soluble and Perfluorinated Polyelectrolyte for Safe and High-Performance Li-O2 Batteries
Qi Xiong1,2, Gang Huang2, Yue Yu2,3
1Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials, Ministry of Education, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun, 130022, P. R. China.
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|March 11, 2022
Summary
Researchers developed a novel lithiated Nafion (LN) electrolyte for lithium-oxygen (Li-O2) batteries. This new electrolyte enhances battery performance and safety by preventing lithium dendrite growth and improving ion conductivity.
Area of Science:
- Electrochemistry
- Materials Science
- Energy Storage
Background:
- High-capacity lithium-oxygen (Li-O2) batteries face severe performance degradation.
- Key issues include lithium dendrite growth and concentration polarization due to low Li+ transfer numbers in conventional electrolytes.
- These limitations hinder the practical application of Li-O2 batteries.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design a novel electrolyte for improving the performance and safety of Li-O2 batteries.
- To address the challenges of lithium dendrite growth and poor ion transport.
- To enable practical applications of high-capacity lithium-oxygen energy storage.
Main Methods:
- Designed lithiated Nafion (LN) as a soluble lithium salt with a perfluorinated backbone and immobilized sulfonic groups.
- Prepared a less flammable polyelectrolyte solution using LN.
- Investigated the Li+ transfer number, conductivity, and solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation on the lithium anode.
- Fabricated and tested pouch-type Li-air cells.
Main Results:
- Achieved a high Li+ transfer number (0.84) and conductivity (2.5 mS cm-1) with the LN electrolyte.
- The perfluorinated anion of LN facilitated the formation of a LiF-rich SEI, effectively protecting the Li anode from dendrite growth.
- The Li-O2 battery demonstrated significantly improved performance: low charge overpotential (0.18 V), high discharge capacity (9508 mAh g-1), and excellent cycling stability (225 cycles).
Conclusions:
- The developed LN-based polyelectrolyte solution offers a promising approach to overcome the limitations of conventional electrolytes in Li-O2 batteries.
- The simultaneous achievement of high ionic conductivity, high Li+ transfer number, and effective anode protection leads to enhanced battery performance and safety.
- The fabricated pouch-type Li-air cells show potential for powering electronic equipment, indicating satisfactory safety and practical applicability.
