Noncoordinating Flame-Retardant Functional Electrolyte Solvents for Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Batteries

In Li-ion batteries, functional cosolvents could significantly improve the specific performance of the electrolyte, for example, the flame retardancy. In case the cosolvent shows strong Li⁺-coordinating ability, it could adversely influence the electrochemical Li⁺-intercalation reaction of the electrode. In this work, a noncoordinating functional cosolvent was proposed to enrich the functionality of the electrolyte while avoiding interference with the Li storage process. Hexafluorocyclotriphosphazene, an efficient flame-retardant agent with proper physicochemical properties, was chosen as a cosolvent for preparing functional electrolytes. The nonpolar phosphazene molecules with low electron-donating ability do not coordinate with Li⁺ and thus are excluded from the primary solvation sheath. In graphite-anode-based Li-ion batteries, the phosphazene molecules do not cointercalate with Li⁺ into the graphite lattice during the charging process, which helps to maintain integral anode structure and interface and contributes to stable cycling. The noncoordinating cosolvent was also applied to other types of electrode materials and batteries, paving a new way for high-performance electrochemical energy storage systems with customizable functions.