Itaconic Anhydride as a Novel Bio-Derived Solid Electrolyte Interphase Forming Additive for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Sustainable Energy

Background:

• Lithium-ion batteries rely on additives for stable operation.
• Current additives are often derived from petrochemicals, posing sustainability challenges.
• Developing bio-derived alternatives is crucial for greener energy storage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate itaconic anhydride (ITC) as a novel bio-derived additive for lithium-ion batteries.
• To compare the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation and electrochemical performance of ITC with a conventional additive, vinylene carbonate (VC).
• To explore the reduction mechanism and byproducts of ITC on graphite electrodes.

Main Methods:

• Electrolyte preparation with ITC and VC additives.
• Galvanostatic cycling of graphite and LFP half-cells.
• In-situ Raman spectroscopy for SEI analysis.
• Physicochemical property characterization of electrolytes.

Main Results:

• ITC and VC additives yield electrolytes with similar physicochemical properties.
• ITC effectively forms a stable SEI, enabling reversible lithium intercalation.
• Graphite and LFP half-cells with ITC show comparable rate capability and capacity retention to VC-based cells.
• ITC exhibits a distinct reduction mechanism on graphite, forming C-O and COO- species in the SEI.

Conclusions:

• Itaconic anhydride is a viable bio-derived additive for lithium-ion batteries.
• ITC demonstrates comparable electrochemical performance to vinylene carbonate.
• This research supports the development of sustainable energy storage solutions by offering a bio-based alternative to petrochemical additives.