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Title: Enhanced charging capability of lithium metal batteries based on lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide-lithium bis(oxalato)borate dual-salt electrolytes

Journal Article · · Journal of Power Sources

Rechargeable lithium (Li) metal batteries with conventional LiPF6-carbonate electrolytes have been reported to fail quickly at charging current densities of about 1.0 mA cm-2 and above. In this work, we demonstrate the rapid charging capability of the Li||LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 (NCA) cells enabled by a dual-salt electrolyte of LiTFSI-LiBOB in a carbonate solvent mixture. It is found that the thickness of solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer on Li metal anode largely increases with increasing charging current density. However, the cells using the LiTFSI-LiBOB dual-salt electrolyte significantly outperforms those using the LiPF6 electrolyte at high charging current densities. At the charging current density of 1.50 mA cm-2, the Li||NCA cells with the dual-salt electrolyte can still deliver a discharge capacity of 131 mAh g-1 and a capacity retention of 80% after 100 cycles, while those with the LiPF6 electrolyte start to show fast capacity fading after the 30th cycle and only exhibit a low capacity of 25 mAh g-1 and a low retention of 15% after 100 cycles. The reasons for the good chargeability and cycling stability of the cells using LiTFSI-LiBOB dual-salt electrolyte can be attributed to the good film-formation ability of the electrolyte on lithium metal anode and the highly conductive nature of the sulfur-rich interphase layer.

Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Environmental Molecular Sciences Lab. (EMSL)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Vehicle Technologies Office (EE-3V); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
1282480
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA-115806; 48379; VT1201000
Journal Information:
Journal of Power Sources, Vol. 318; ISSN 0378-7753
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English