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Synthesis of Ionic Liquid Based Electrolytes, Assembly of Li-ion Batteries, and Measurements of Performance at High Temperature
Published on: December 20, 2016
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High Performance Low-Temperature Lithium Metal Batteries Enabled by Tailored Electrolyte Solvation Structure.
Yuxi Zou1, Fangyuan Cheng1, Yu Lu1
1State Key Laboratory of Material Processing and Die & Mould Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, P. R. China.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|February 3, 2023
Summary
A new electrolyte using fluorinated solvents enhances low-temperature performance in lithium metal batteries by improving ion de-solvation and interfacial film formation. This enables stable high capacity at -30 °C for energy storage applications.
Area of Science:
- Electrochemistry
- Materials Science
- Energy Storage
Background:
- Low-temperature performance is critical for lithium metal batteries, limited by interfacial de-solvation and ion transport kinetics.
- Developing electrolytes that facilitate efficient ion movement and stable interfaces at sub-zero temperatures is a key challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design a novel electrolyte for low-temperature lithium metal batteries that promotes facile de-solvation and favorable interfacial film formation.
- To investigate the impact of electrolyte formulation on lithium-ion solvation structure and interfacial properties at low temperatures.
Main Methods:
- Synthesized a novel electrolyte using diethyl fluoromalonate (DEFM) and fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) as solvents with high concentration lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI).
- Investigated the solvation structure and interfacial characteristics of the electrolyte.
- Tested the electrochemical performance of LiFePO4 (LFP) | Li half-cells and LFP | Li full cells at low temperatures (-30 °C and 0 °C).
Main Results:
- The tailored electrolyte formulation weakened Li-ion-solvent interactions, facilitating de-solvation at low temperatures.
- The fluorinated carboxylic ester (FCE) electrolyte enabled a LiFePO4 (LFP) | Li half-cell to achieve a high capacity of 91.9 mAh g-1 at -30 °C with a high fluorine content at the interface.
- The LFP | Li full cell maintained over 100 mAh g-1 at 0 °C after 100 cycles, demonstrating stable cycling.
Conclusions:
- The developed fluorinated electrolyte exhibits excellent low-temperature properties and promotes weaker Li-ion solvation, crucial for efficient Li metal anode operation.
- This research offers a promising pathway for developing high-energy-density, low-temperature lithium metal batteries.
- Optimized de-solvation kinetics and interfacial properties are key to advancing next-generation energy storage solutions.
