ABSTRACT
Solid-state polymer-based electrolytes (SSPEs) exhibit great possibilities in realizing high-energy-density solid-state lithium metal batteries (SSLMBs). However, current SSPEs suffer from low ionic conductivity and unsatisfactory interfacial compatibility with metallic Li because of the high crystallinity of polymers and sluggish Li+ movement in SSPEs. Herein, differing from common strategies of copolymerization, a new strategy of constructing a high-entropy SSPE from multivariant polymeric ligands is proposed. As a protocol, poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PH) chains are grafted to the demoed polyethylene imine (PEI) with abundant -NH2 groups via a click-like reaction (HE-PEIgPHE). Compared to a PH-based SSPE, our HE-PEIgPHE shows a higher modulus (6.75 vs 5.18 MPa), a higher ionic conductivity (2.14 × 10-4 vs 1.03 × 10-4 S cm-1), and a higher Li+ transference number (0.55 vs 0.42). A Li|HE-PEIgPHE|Li cell exhibits a long lifetime (1500 h), and a Li|HE-PEIgPHE|LiFePO4 cell delivers an initial capacity of 160 mAh g-1 and a capacity retention of 98.7%, demonstrating the potential of our HE-PEIgPHE for the SSLMBs.
ABSTRACT
Lithium metal batteries (LMBs) have been recognized as high-energy storage alternatives; however, problematic surface reactions due to dendritic Li growth are major obstacles to their widespread utilization. Herein, a 3-mercapto-1-propanesulfonic acid sodium salt (MPS) with asymmetrically functionalized thiol and sulfonate groups as polarizable interface-restructuring molecules is proposed to achieve rapid and longer-operating LMBs. Under a harsh condition of 5 mA cm-2, Li-Li symmetric cells employing MPS can be cycled over 1200 cycles, outperforming those employing other molecules symmetrically functionalized by thiol or sulfonate groups. The improved performance of the Li|V2O5 full cell is demonstrated by introducing MPS additives. MPS additives offer advantages by flattening the surface, reconfiguring Li nucleation and growth along the stable (110) plane, and forming a durable and conductive solid-electrolyte interface layer (SEI). This study suggests an effective way to develop a new class of electrolyte additives for LMBs by controlling engineering factors, such as functional groups and polarizable properties.
ABSTRACT
The design and fabrication of a lithiophilic skeleton are highly important for constructing advanced Li metal anodes. In this work, a new lithiophilic skeleton is reported by planting metal sulfides (e.g., Ni3S2) on vertical graphene (VG) via a facile ultrafast Joule heating (UJH) method, which facilitates the homogeneous distribution of lithiophilic sites on carbon cloth (CC) supported VG substrate with firm bonding. Ni3S2 nanoparticles are homogeneously anchored on the optimized skeleton as CC/VG@Ni3S2, which ensures high conductivity and uniform deposition of Li metal with non-dendrites. By means of systematic electrochemical characterizations, the symmetric cells coupled with CC/VG@Ni3S2 deliver a steady long-term cycle within 14 mV overpotential for 1800 h (900 cycles) at 1 mA cm-2 and 1 mAh cm-2. Meanwhile, the designed CC/VG@Ni3S2-Li||LFP full cell shows notable electrochemical performance with a capacity retention of 92.44% at 0.5 C after 500 cycles and exceptional rate performance. This novel synthesis strategy for metal sulfides on hierarchical carbon-based materials sheds new light on the development of high-performance lithium metal batteries (LMBs).
ABSTRACT
Limited electrochemical stability windows of conventional carbonate-based electrolytes pose a challenge to support the Lithium (Li)- and manganese (Mn)-rich (LMR) high-voltage cathodes in rechargeable Li-metal batteries (LMBs). To address this issue, a novel localized high-concentration electrolyte (LHCE) composition incorporating LiPF6 and LiTFSI as dual-salts (D-LHCE), tailored for high-voltage (>4.6 Vvs.Li) operation of LMR cathodes in LMBs is introduced. 7Li nuclear magnetic resonance and Raman spectroscopy revealed the characteristics of the solvation structure of D-LHCE. The addition of LiPF6 provides stable Al-current-collector passivation while the addition of LiTFSI improves the stability of D-LHCE by producing a more robust cathode-electrolyte interphase (CEI) on LMR cathode and solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) on Li-metal anode. As a result, LMR/Li cell, using the D-LHCE, achieved 72.5% capacity retention after 300 cycles, a significant improvement compared to the conventional electrolyte (21.9% after 100 cycles). The stabilities of LMR CEI and Li-metal SEI are systematically analyzed through combined applications of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and distribution of relaxation times techniques. The results present that D-LHCE concept represents an effective strategy for designing next-generation electrolytes for high-energy and high-voltage LMB cells.
ABSTRACT
Increasing the charging cutoff voltage of LiCoO2 to 4.6 V is significant for enhancing battery density. However, the practical application of LiâLiCoO2 batteries with a 4.6 V cutoff voltage faces significant impediments due to the detrimental changes under high voltage. This study presents a novel bifunctional electrolyte additive, 2-(trifluoromethyl)benzamide (2-TFMBA), which is employed to establish a stable and dense cathode-electrolyte interface (CEI). Characterization results reveal that an optimized CEI is achieved through the synergistic effects of the amide groups and trifluoromethyl groups within 2-TFMBA. The resulting CEI not only enhances the structural stability of LiCoO2 but also serves as a high-speed lithium-ion conduction channel, which expedites the insertion and extraction of lithium ions. The LiâLiCoO2 batteries with 0.5 wt% 2-TFMBA achieves an 84.7% capacity retention rate after enduring 300 cycles at a current rate of 1 C, under a cut-off voltage of 4.6 V. This study provides valuable strategic insights into the stabilization of cathode materials in high-voltage batteries.
ABSTRACT
Zero-excess Li-metal batteries (ZE-LMBs) have emerged as the ultimate battery platform, offering an exceptionally high energy density. However, the absence of Li-hosting materials results in uncontrolled dendritic Li deposition on the Cu current collector, leading to chronic loss of Li inventory and severe electrolyte decomposition, limiting its full utilization upon cycling. This study presents the application of ultrathin (≈50 nm) coatings comprising six metallic layers (Cu, Ag, Au, Pt, W, and Fe) on Cu substrates in order to provide insights into the design of Li-depositing current collectors for stable ZE-LMB operation. In contrast to non-alloy Cu, W, and Fe coatings, Ag, Au, and Pt coatings can enhance surface lithiophilicity, effectively suppressing Li dendrite growth, thereby improving Li reversibility. Considering the distinct Li-alloying behaviors, particularly solid-solution and/or intermetallic phase formation, Pt-coated Cu current collectors maintain surface lithiophilicity over repeated Li plating/stripping cycles by preserving the original coating layer, thereby attaining better cycling performance of ZE-LMBs. This highlights the importance of selecting suitable Li-alloy metals to sustain surface lithiophilicity throughout cycling to regulate dendrite-less Li plating and improve the electrochemical stability of ZE-LMBs.
ABSTRACT
Over the past decades, significant advances have been made in lithium-ion batteries. However, further requirement on the electrochemical performance is still a powerful motivator to improve battery technology. The solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) is considered as a key component on negative electrode, having been proven to be crucial for the performance, even in safety of batteries. Although numerous studies have focused on SEI in recent years, its specific properties, including structure and composition, remain largely unclear. Particularly, LiF, a common and important component in SEI, has sparked debates among researchers, resulting in divergent viewpoints. In this review, the recent research findings on SEI and delve into the characteristics of the LiF component is aim to consolidated. The cause of SEI formation and the evolution of SEI models is summarized. The distinctive properties of SEI generated on various negative electrodes is further discussed, the ongoing scholarly controversy surrounding the function of LiF within SEI, and the specific physicochemical properties about LiF and its synergistic effect in heterogeneous components. The objective is to facilitate better understanding of SEI and the role of the LiF component, ultimately contributing to the development of Li batteries with enhanced electrochemical performance and safety for battery communities.
ABSTRACT
The increasing need for energy storage devices with high energy density has led to significant interest in Li-metal batteries (LMBs). However, the use of commercial electrolytes in LMBs is problematic due to their flammability, inadequate performance at low temperatures, and tendency to promote the growth of lithium dendrites and other flaws. This study introduces a localized high-concentration electrolyte (LHCE) that addresses these issues by employing non-flammable electrolyte components and incorporating carefully designed additives to enhance flame retardancy and low-temperature performance. By incorporating additives to optimize the electrolyte, it is possible to attain inorganic-dominated solid electrolyte interphases on both the cathode and anode. This achievement results in a uniform deposition of lithium, as well as the suppression of electrolyte decomposition and cathode deterioration. Consequently, this LHCE achieve over 300 stable cycles for both LiNi0.9Mn0.05Co0.05O2||Li cells and LiCoO2||Li cells, as well as 50 cycles for LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 (NCM811||Li) pouch cells. Furthermore, NCM811||Li cells maintain 84% discharge capacity at -20 °C, in comparison to the capacity at room temperature. The utilization of this electrolyte presents novel perspectives for the safe implementation of LMBs.
ABSTRACT
Low Coulombic efficiency (CE) and safety issues are huge problems that hinder the practical application of Li metal anodes. Constructing Li host structures decorated with functional species can restrain the growth of Li dendrites and alleviate the great volume change. Here, a 3D porous carbonaceous skeleton modified with rich lithiophilic groups (Zn, ZnO, and Zn(CN)2 ) is synthesized as a Li host via one-step carbonization of a triazole-containing metal-organic framework. The nano lithiophilic groups serve as preferred sites for Li nucleation and growth, regulating a uniform Li+ flux and uniform current density distribution. In addition, the 3D porous network functions as a Li reservoir that provides rich internal space to store Li, thus alleviating the volumetric expansion during Li plating/stripping process. Thanks to these component and structural merits, an ultra-low overpotential for Li deposition is achieved, together with high CE of over 99.5% for more than 500 cycles at 1 mA cm-2 and 1 mAh cm-2 in half cells. The symmetric cells exhibit a prolonged cycling of 900 h at 1 mA cm-2 . The full cells by coupling Zn/ZnO/Zn(CN)2 @C-Li anode with LiFePO4 cathode deliver a high capacity retention of 94.3% after 200 cycles at 1 C.
ABSTRACT
Lithium (Li) metal is considered a hopeful anode for next-generation Li-ion batteries thanks to its ultra-high theoretical specific capacity, extra-low theoretical density, and low negative potential. However, the uncontrolled growth of Li dendrites and volume fluctuation during plating/stripping processes severely hamper its commercial application. Herein, ZnS seeds sealed in N, P, S co-doped carbon hollow rhombic dodecahedra (ZnS@NPS-C HRD) is fabricated as a superlithiophilic host for Li metal anodes (LMAs) to solve the above problems. In addition, the Li nucleation and deposition mechanism on ZnS@NPS-C HRD is investigated by in situ optical microscopy, ex-situ X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and theoretical calculations. Owing to the synergistic strategy of ZnS seeds-inducing nucleation and Li-limited growth, the as-prepared composite exhibits stability for 300 cycles in asymmetric cells and a long lifespan over 1100 h in symmetric cells. Moreover, the ZnS@NPS-C HRD@Li|LiFePO4 full cell demonstrates a reversible capacity of 100.91 mAh g-1 after 400 cycles at 1 C.
ABSTRACT
Lithium (Li) metal is regarded as the most promising anode for next-generation batteries with high energy density. However, the uncontrolled dendrite growth and infinite volume expansion during cycling seriously hinder the application of Li metal batteries (LMBs). Herein, an inorganic/organic protective layer (labeled as BPH), composed of in situ formed inorganic constituents and PVDF-HFP, is designed on the 3D carbon paper (CP) surface by hot-dipping method. The BPH layer can effectively improve the mechanical strength and ionic conductivity of the SEI layer, which is beneficial to expedite the Li-ion transfer of the entire framework and achieve stable Li plating/stripping behavior. As a result, the modified 3D CP (BPH-CP) exhibits an ultrahigh average Coulombic efficiency (CE) of ≈99.7% over 400 cycles. Further, the Li||LiFePO4 (LFP) cell exhibits an extremely long-term cycle life of over 3000 cycles at 5 C. Importantly, the full cell with high mass loading LiFePO4 (20 mg cm-2) or LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 (NCM, 16 mg cm-2) cathode exhibits stable cycling for 100 or 150 cycles at 0.5 C with high-capacity retention of 86.5% or 82.0% even at extremely low N/P ratio of 0.88 or 0.94. believe that this work enlightens a simple and effective strategy for the application of high-energy-density and high-rate-C LMBs.
ABSTRACT
Lithium (Li)-metal batteries are promising next-generation energy storage systems. One drawback of uncontrollable electrolyte degradation is the ability to form a fragile and nonuniform solid electrolyte interface (SEI). In this study, we propose the use of a fluorinated carbon nanotube (CNT) macrofilm (CMF) on Li metal as a hybrid anode, which can regulate the redox state at the anode/electrolyte interface. Due to the favorable reaction energy between the plated Li and fluorinated CNTs, the metal can be fluorinated directly to a LiF-rich SEI during the charging process, leading to a high Young's modulus (~2.0â GPa) and fast ionic transfer (~2.59×10-7 â S cm-1 ). The obtained SEI can guide the homogeneous plating/stripping of Li during electrochemical processes while suppressing dendrite growth. In particular, the hybrid of endowed full cells with substantially enhanced cyclability allows for high capacity retention (~99.3 %) and remarkable rate capacity. This work can extend fluorination technology into a platform to control artificial SEI formation in Li-metal batteries, increasing the stability and long-term performance of the resulting material.
ABSTRACT
Hydrofluoric acid (HF)-induced electrode and interfacial structure degeneration poses a significant challenge for high-voltage lithium metal batteries (LMBs). To address this issue, we propose a separator strategy that involves decorating a regular polyethylene (PE) separator with molecular sieves (TW) impregnated with piperidine (PI). The porous structure of the TW serves as a reaction chamber for PI and HF. As a result, the HF content in the controlled electrolyte with 500â ppm H2O (ELE-500) is notably reduced when using TW@PI-PE separators, thereby shielding nickel-rich cathodes from HF etching. Simultaneously, due to the hydrolysis of Li salts, and the inertness of PI towards H2O, a uniform lithium fluoride (LiF)-rich solid electrolyte interphase can form on the Li metal anode, further mitigating dendrite formation. The lifespan of the symmetric Li cell using the TW@PI-PE separator is doubled in ELE-500, exhibiting stable 500-hour cycles at 3â mA cm-2 and 3â mAh cm-2. Additionally, with the effective limitation of transition metal (TM) dissolution, the 4.6-V LMBs employing a LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 cathode maintain an 81 % capacity retention over 100â cycles, even in ELE-1000. The innovative TW@PI system presented here offers a fresh perspective for future research aimed at eliminating HF in LMBs.
ABSTRACT
Solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) plays a decisive role in building reliable Li metal batteries. However, the scarcity of anions in Helmholtz layer (HL) caused by electrostatic repulsion usually leads to the inferior SEI derived from solvents, resulting in dendrites and 'dead' Li. Therefore, regulating the distribution of anions in electric double layer (EDL) and continuously introducing more anions into HL to tailor anions-derived SEI is crucial for achieving stable Li plating/stripping. Herein, by jointly utilizing the controlled defects of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and the oriented dipoles of ferroelectric BaTiO3 (BTO), the rGO-BTO composite layer sustainedly brings more TFSI- and NO3- into anion-defecient HL, promoting favorable decomposition of anions and guiding the generation of robust and fast-Li+-transport SEI containing more inorganics LiF and Li3N species. Thus, the resulting Li deposit shows smooth and dense morphologies without dendrites, leading to high average Coulombic efficiency. The Li//Cu@rGO-BTO (10 mAh cm-2 plated Li) cell exhibits an enhanced Li plating/stripping stability (2700 h) and a higher rate capability. The LiFePO4 full cell (N/P=~6.3) using rGO-BTO displays an enhanced capacity retention (82.0% @ 430 cycles). This work provides a new insight on the construction of robust SEI by regulating the distribution of anions within EDL.
ABSTRACT
Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) are promising for high-energy-density solid-state Li metal batteries due to their decent flexibility, safety, and interfacial stability. However, their development was seriously hindered by the interfacial instability and limited conductivity, leading to inferior electrochemical performance. Herein, we proposed to design ultra-thin solid-state electrolyte with long-range cooperative ion transport pathway to effectively increase the ionic conductivity and stability. The impregnation of PVDF-HFP inside pores of fluorinated covalent organic framework (CF3-COF) can disrupt its symmetry, rendering rapid ion transportation and inhibited anion immigration. The functional groups of CF3-COF can interact with PVDF-HFP to form fast Li+ transport channels, which enables the uniform and confined Li+ conduction within the electrolyte. The introduction of CF3-COF also enhances the mechanical strength and flexibility of SPEs, as well as ensures homogeneous Li deposition and inhibited dendrite growth. Hence, a remarkably high conductivity of 1.21×10-3â S cm-1 can be achieved. Finally, the ultra-thin SPEs with an extremely long cycle life exceed 9000â h can be obtained while the NCM523/Li pouch cell demonstrates a high capacity of 760â mAh and 96 % capacity retention after cycling, holding great promises to be utilized for practical solid-state Li metal batteries.
ABSTRACT
The appearance of disordered lithium dendrites and fragile solid electrolyte interfaces (SEI) significantly hinder the serviceability of lithium metal batteries. Herein, guided by theoretical predictions, a multi-component covalent triazine framework with partially electronegative channels (4C-TA0.5TF0.5-CTF) is incorporated as a protective layer to modulate the interface stability of the lithium metal batteries. Notably, the 4C-TA0.5TF0.5-CTF with optimized electronic structure at the molecular level by fine-tuning the local acceptor-donor functionalities not only enhances the intermolecular interaction thereby providing larger dipole moment and improved crystallinity and mechanical stress, but also facilitates the beneficial effect of lithiophilic sites (C-F bonds, triazine cores, C=N linkages and aromatic rings) to further regulate the migration of Li+ and achieve a uniform lithium deposition behavior as determined by various in-depth in/ex situ characterizations. Due to the synergistic effect of multi-component organic functionalities, the 4C-TA0.5TF0.5-CTF modified full cells perform significantly better than the common two/three-component 2C-TA-CTF and 3C-TF-CTF electrodes, delivering an excellent capacity of 116.3â mAh g-1 (capacity retention ratio: 86.8 %) after 1000â cycles at 5â C and improved rate capability. This work lays a platform for the prospective molecular design of improved organic framework relative artificial SEI for highly stable lithium metal batteries.
ABSTRACT
The continuous electrolyte decomposition and uncontrolled dendrite growth caused by the unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) have largely hindered the development of Li metal batteries. Here, we demonstrate that tuning the facet of current collector can regulate the composition of SEI and the subsequent Li deposition behavior using single-crystal Cu foils as an ideal platform. The theoretical and experimental studies reveal that the (100) facet of Cu possesses strong adsorption to anions, guiding more anions to participate preferentially in the inner Helmholtz plane and further promoting the formation of the stable inorganic-rich SEI. Consequently, the single-crystal Cu foils with a single [100] orientation (s-Cu(100)) achieve the dendrite-free Li deposition with enhanced Li plating/stripping reversibility. Moreover, the Li anode deposited on s-Cu(100) can stabilize the operation of an Ah-level pouch cell (350â Wh kg-1) with a low negative/positive capacity ratio (~2) and lean electrolyte (2.4â g Ah-1) for 150â cycles. Impressively, this strategy demonstrates universality in a series of electrolytes employed different anions. This work provides new insights into the correlation between the SEI and current collector, opening a universal avenue towards high-performance Li metal batteries.
ABSTRACT
Regulating the composition of solid-electrolyte-interphase (SEI) is the key to construct high-energy density lithium metal batteries. Here we report a selective catalysis anionic decomposition strategy to achieve a lithium fluoride (LiF)-rich SEI for stable lithium metal batteries. To accomplish this, the tris(4-aminophenyl) amine-pyromeletic dianhydride covalent organic frameworks (TP-COF) was adopted as an interlayer on lithium metal anode. The strong donor-acceptor unit structure of TP-COF induces local charge separation, resulting in electron depletion and thus boosting its affinity to FSI-. The strong interaction between TP-COF and FSI- lowers the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy level of FSI-, accelerating the decomposition of FSI- and generating a stable LiF-rich SEI. This feature facilitates rapid Li+ transfer and suppresses dendritic Li growth. Notably, we demonstrate a 6.5â Ah LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2|TP-COF@Li pouch cell with high energy density (473.4â Wh kg-1) and excellent cycling stability (97.4 %, 95â cycles) under lean electrolyte 1.39â g Ah-1, high areal capacity 5.7â mAh cm-2, and high current density 2.7â mA cm-2. Our selective catalysis strategy opens a promising avenue toward the practical applications of high energy-density rechargeable batteries.
ABSTRACT
Here, we build a tunable multipolar conjugated polymer framework platform via pore wall chemistry to probe the role of electronic structure engineering in improving the Li+ conduction by theoretical studies. Guided by theoretical prediction, we develop a new cyano-vinylene-linked multipolar polymer framework namely CNF-COF, which can act as efficient ion sieves to modify solid polymer electrolytes to simultaneously tune Li+ migration and stable Li anodes for long-lifespan all-solid-state (ASS) Li metal batteries at high rate. The dual-decoration of cyano and fluorine groups in CNF-COF favorably regulates electronic structure via multipolar donor-acceptor electronic effects to afford proper energy band structure and abundant electron-rich sites for enhanced oxidative stability, facilitated ion-pair dissociation and suppressed anion movements. Thus, the CNF-COF incorporation into poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) electrolytes not only renders fast selective Li+ transport but also facilitates the Li dendrite suppression. Specifically, the constructed PEO composite electrolyte with an ultra-low CNF-COF content of only 0.5â wt % is endowed with a wide electrochemical window, a high ionic conductivity of 0.634â mS cm-1 at 60 °C and a large Li+ transference number of 0.81-remarkably outperforming CNF-COF-free counterparts (0.183â mS cm-1 and 0.22). As such, the Li symmetric cell delivers stable Li plating/stripping over 1400â h at 0.1â mA cm-2. Impressively, by coupling with LiFePO4 (LFP) cathodes, the assembled ASS Li battery under 60 °C allows for stable cycling over 2000â cycles at 1â C and over 1000â cycles even at 2â C with a large capacity retention of ~75 %, surpassing most reported ASS Li batteries using PEO-based electrolytes.
ABSTRACT
The solid-state electrolyte interface (SEI) between the solid-state polymer electrolyte and the lithium metal anode dramatically affects the overall battery performance. Increasing the content of lithium fluoride (LiF) in SEI can help the uniform deposition of lithium and inhibit the growth of lithium dendrites, thus improving the cycle stability performance of lithium batteries. Currently, most methods of constructing LiF SEI involve decomposing the lithium salt by the polar groups of the filler. However, there is a lack of research reports on how to affect the SEI layer of Li-ion batteries by increasing the charge transfer number. In this study, a porous organic polymer with "charge storage" properties was prepared and doped into a polymer composite solid electrolyte to study the effect of sufficient charge transfer on the decomposition of lithium salts. The results show in contrast to porphyrins, the unique structure of POF allows for charge transfer between each individual porphyrin. Therefore, during TFSI- decomposition to the formation of LiF, TFSI- can obtain sufficient charge, thereby promoting the break of C-F and forming the LiF-rich SEI. Compared with single porphyrin (0.423â e-), POF provides 2.7â times more charge transfer to LiTFSI (1.147â e-). The experimental results show that Li//Li symmetric batteries equipped with PEO-POF can be operated stably for more than 2700â h at 60 °C. Even the Li//Li (45â µm) symmetric cells are stable for more than 1100â h at 0.1â mA cm-1. In addition, LiFePO4//PEO-POF//Li batteries have excellent cycling performance at 2â C (80 % capacity retention after 750 cycles). Even LiFePO4//PEO-POF//Li (45â µm) cells have excellent cycling performance at 1â C (96 % capacity retention after 300 cycles). Even when the PEO-base is replaced with a PEG-base and a PVDF-base, the performance of the cell is still significantly improved. Therefore, we believe that the concept of charge transfer offers a novel perspective for the preparation of high-performance assemblies.