《Loosely Coordinating Diluted Highly Concentrated Electrolyte toward −60 ^oC Li Metal Batteries》

Lithium metal batteries (LMBs) are recognized as the optimal high energy density technology. Yet they suffer severe battery performance deterioration at sub-zero temperatures, which is highly correlated to inferior lithium metal anode (LMA) compatibility and sluggish Li+ desolvation. The diluted high concentration electrolyte (DHCE) opens a door to improve LMBs electrochemical performance at low temperature, benefiting from high Li compatibility and mitigatory desolvation barrier. Currently, typical DHCE contains 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME) as the main solvent; however, the strong Li+-DME interaction in DHCE makes it difficult to achieve fast Li+ desolvation at temperatures below −40°C. To enable ≤−60 oC LMBs operation, loosening the Li+-solvent coordination in ideal DHCE should be considered. Due to the loose Li+-CPME coordination, such DHCE support facile Li+ desolvation and maintain ultra-high Li compatibility. The well-designed DHCE in this work offers an encouraging strategy to improve the practical application of low-temperature LMBs.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095495623006289