Emerging electrolytes with fluorinated solvents for rechargeable lithium-based batteries

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry and Materials Science
• Focus on advanced lithium-based batteries

Background:

• Electrolytes are crucial for ion transport and interfacial chemistry in energy storage.
• Current lithium-based batteries suffer from side reactions and electrolyte degradation, impacting performance and safety.
• Fluorination offers a promising strategy to mitigate these issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive overview of fluorinated solvents for lithium-based batteries.
• To discuss solvent properties, synthesis, performance enhancements, and applications.
• To offer guidance on solvent selection and highlight future research directions.

Main Methods:

• Review of fundamental solvent/electrolyte parameters (physical properties, solvation, interface, safety).
• Analysis of advances and challenges in fluorinated solvent performance.
• Discussion of synthetic methods, reaction mechanisms, and structure-performance relationships.

Main Results:

• Fluorination significantly improves electrolyte stability and electrochemical performance in lithium batteries.
• Detailed insights into various fluorinated solvents, their synthesis, and applications are presented.
• Structure-performance relationships and solvent selection guidelines are elaborated.

Conclusions:

• Fluorinated solvents are key to overcoming limitations in current lithium-based batteries.
• Advanced synthesis, characterization, and machine learning are vital for designing next-generation fluorinated solvents.
• Continued research is essential for optimizing fluorinated electrolytes for safer and more efficient energy storage.