Enhanced electrochemical performance of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 cathode by application of LiPF2O2 for lithium difluoro(oxalate)borate electrolyte

Fluorine Chemistry in Rechargeable Batteries: Challenges, Progress, and Perspectives

The renewable energy industry demands rechargeable batteries that can be manufactured at low cost using abundant resources while offering high energy density, good safety, wide operating temperature windows, and long lifespans. Utilizing fluorine chemistry to redesign battery configurations/components is considered a critical strategy to fulfill these requirements due to the natural abundance, robust bond strength, and extraordinary electronegativity of fluorine and the high free energy of fluoride formation, which enables the fluorinated components with cost effectiveness, nonflammability, and intrinsic stability. In particular, fluorinated materials and electrode|electrolyte interphases have been demonstrated to significantly affect reaction reversibility/kinetics, safety, and temperature tolerance of rechargeable batteries. However, the underlining principles governing material design and the mechanistic insights of interphases at the atomic level have been largely overlooked. This review covers a wide range of topics from the exploration of fluorine-containing electrodes, fluorinated electrolyte constituents, and other fluorinated battery components for metal-ion shuttle batteries to constructing fluoride-ion batteries, dual-ion batteries, and other new chemistries. In doing so, this review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the structure-property interactions, the features of fluorinated interphases, and cutting-edge techniques for elucidating the role of fluorine chemistry in rechargeable batteries. Further, we present current challenges and promising strategies for employing fluorine chemistry, aiming to advance the electrochemical performance, wide temperature operation, and safety attributes of rechargeable batteries.

Synergistic Inorganic-Organic Dual-Additive Electrolytes Enable Practical High-Voltage Lithium-Ion Batteries

Severe electrolyte decomposition under high voltage can easily lead to degradation of the performance of lithium-ion batteries, which has become a major obstacle to the practical application of high-energy-density batteries. To solve these problems, a dual-functional electrolyte additive comprising inorganic lithium difluorophosphate (LiDFP) and organic 1,3,6-hexanetrinitrile (HTN) was designed and employed to improve the performance of high-voltage Si@C/LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ full batteries. LiDFP with a lower LUMO energy than the solvent in the electrolyte takes priority in reduction, facilitating the formation of a dense and stable film on the anode, effectively suppressing side reactions of the electrolyte and aiding tolerance to the volume expansion of the Si@C electrode. Additionally, the lower HOMO energy of HTN can improve the oxidation resistance of the electrolyte, with the C≡N functional group of HTN helping to remove the trace water and the byproduct HF from the electrolyte. The Si@C/LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ full battery with 1 wt % LiDFP and 1 wt % HTN in 1.0 M LiPF₆ traditional electrolyte delivers high capacity retention of 91.57% after 150 cycles at 0.2C, compared to 34.58% capacity retention without any additives. Moreover, the Coulombic efficiency of batteries with electrolyte additives can reach 99.75% on average, compared to their counterparts at ∼96.54%. The synergistic effect of LiDFP and HTN provides a promising strategy for enhancing the performance of high-voltage batteries for practical industrialization.

Antioxidation Mechanism of Highly Concentrated Electrolytes at High Voltage

It has been researched that highly concentrated electrolytes (HCEs) can solve the problem of the excessive decomposition of dilute electrolytes at a high voltage, but the mechanism is not clear. In this work, the antioxidation mechanism of HCE at a high voltage was investigated by in situ electrochemical tests and theoretical calculations from the perspective of the solvation structure and physicochemical property. The results indicate that compared with the dilute electrolyte, the change of solvation structures in HCE makes more PF₆^- anions easier to be oxidized prior to the dimethyl carbonate solvents, resulting in a more stable cathode-electrolyte interphase (CEI) film. First, the lower oxidation potential of the solvation structure with more PF₆^- anions inhibits the side effects of the electrolyte effectively. Second, the CEI film, consisted of LiF and Li_xPO_yF_z generated from the oxidation of PF₆^- and Li₃PO₄ generated from the hydrolysis of LiPF₆ via the soluble PO₂F₂^- intermediate, can reduce the interface impedance and improve the conductivity. Intriguingly, the high viscosity of HCEs and the hydrolysis of LiPF₆ are proven to play a positive role in enhancing the interfacial stability of the electrolyte/electrode at a high voltage. This study builds a deep understanding of the bulk and interface properties of HCEs and provides theoretical support for their large-scale application in high-voltage battery materials.

High-voltage liquid electrolytes for Li batteries: progress and perspectives

Since the advent of the Li ion batteries (LIBs), the energy density has been tripled, mainly attributed to the increase of the electrode capacities. Now, the capacity of transition metal oxide cathodes is approaching the limit due to the stability limitation of the electrolytes. To further promote the energy density of LIBs, the most promising strategies are to enhance the cut-off voltage of the prevailing cathodes or explore novel high-capacity and high-voltage cathode materials, and also replacing the graphite anode with Si/Si-C or Li metal. However, the commercial ethylene carbonate (EC)-based electrolytes with relatively low anodic stability of ∼4.3 V vs. Li⁺/Li cannot sustain high-voltage cathodes. The bottleneck restricting the electrochemical performance in Li batteries has veered towards new electrolyte compositions catering for aggressive next-generation cathodes and Si/Si-C or Li metal anodes, since the oxidation-resistance of the electrolytes and the in situ formed cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI) layers at the high-voltage cathodes and solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layers on anodes critically control the electrochemical performance of these high-voltage Li batteries. In this review, we present a comprehensive and in-depth overview on the recent advances, fundamental mechanisms, scientific challenges, and design strategies for the novel high-voltage electrolyte systems, especially focused on stability issues of the electrolytes, the compatibility and interactions between the electrolytes and the electrodes, and reaction mechanisms. Finally, novel insights, promising directions and potential solutions for high voltage electrolytes associated with effective SEI/CEI layers are proposed to motivate revolutionary next-generation high-voltage Li battery chemistries.