A Weakly Solvating Electrolyte to Enable Lithium- and Manganese-Rich Cathode Based Li-Ion Batteries

Journal Article · Thu Sep 18 00:00:00 UTC 2025 · ACS Energy Letters

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsenergylett.5c02764 · OSTI ID:3374374

Zhu, Qijia; Xu, Jiayi; Liu, Cong; Jiang, Wei; Yang, Jingtian; Yang, Zhenzhen; Chen, Xinqi; Son, Seoung-Bum ; Koirala, Krishna Prasad; Wang, Chongmin; Wostoupal, Owen; Liu, Qian; Xu, Tao; Zhang, Zhengcheng

Traditional ethylene carbonate (EC)-based electrolytes exhibit strong solvation power at the surface of the layered transition metal oxide cathodes, which accelerates transition metal dissolution. The subsequent migration and deposition of dissolved transition metal species on the anode surface lead to significant capacity fading. To overcome this challenge, we report a weakly solvating, all-fluorinated electrolyte designed to mitigate transition metal dissolution. For the first time, the role of electrolyte solvation in suppressing transition metal dissolution is systematically investigated. The tailored electrolyte significantly reduces transition metal dissolution and enhances the electrochemical performance of Li- and Mn-rich (LMR) cathode/graphite cells. This solvation-modulating strategy offers a broadly applicable framework for stabilizing interphases in other earth-abundant cathode chemistries, which similarly demand kinetic protection against interfacial degradation.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)
• Sponsoring Organization: National Science Foundation (NSF); US Department of Energy; USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) - Office of Vehicle Technologies (VTO) - Battery Materials Research (BMR) Program
• Grant/Contract Number: AC02-06CH11357
• OSTI ID: 3374374
• Journal Information: ACS Energy Letters, Journal Name: ACS Energy Letters Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 10
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English