Modulating Interfacial Solvent Aggregation Chemistry to Enable Low-Temperature Sodium-Ion Battery.

The capability of sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) to operate under extreme temperatures is highly desirable; however, achieving stable performance remains challenging due to limitations in interfacial dynamics. Here, it is revealed that at low temperatures, linear solvents tend to aggregate within the inner Helmholtz plane (IHP), leading to the formation of a solvent-derived solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) with sluggish Na diffusion kinetics. To address this issue, it is proposed to leverage the polarization interaction induced by the orbital overlap between the solvent molecules and free radicals as an effective approach to breaking solvent aggregation.

Deciphering the Purification Additive Chemistries for Ultra-Stable High-Voltage Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Hydrogen fluoride (HF)-induced degradation of electrode materials and interphases presents a significant challenge for high-voltage Li-ion batteries. However, progress in developing advanced HF-scavenging additives is hindered by a limited understanding of HF-elimination reactions and the absence of a robust design principle. Herein, it is proposed to analyze the energy decomposition analysis of 24 additives to elucidate the underlying HF-scavenging mechanism and identify key factors influencing HF-additives reactions.

Reduction-Tolerance Electrolyte Design for High-Energy Lithium Batteries.

Lithium batteries employing Li or silicon (Si) anodes hold promise for the next-generation energy storage systems. However, their cycling behavior encounters rapid capacity degradation due to the vulnerability of solid electrolyte interphases (SEIs). Though anion-derived SEIs mitigate this degradation, the unavoidable reduction of solvents introduces heterogeneity to SEIs, leading to fractures during cycling.

Ligand-channel-enabled ultrafast Li-ion conduction.

Li-ion batteries (LIBs) for electric vehicles and aviation demand high energy density, fast charging and a wide operating temperature range, which are virtually impossible because they require electrolytes to simultaneously have high ionic conductivity, low solvation energy and low melting point and form an anion-derived inorganic interphase. Here we report guidelines for designing such electrolytes by using small-sized solvents with low solvation energy. The tiny solvent in the secondary solvation sheath pulls out the Li in the primary solvation sheath to form a fast ion-conduction ligand channel to enhance Li transport, while the small-sized solvent with low solvation energy also allows the anion to enter the first Li solvation shell to form an inorganic-rich interphase.

50C Fast-Charge Li-Ion Batteries using a Graphite Anode.

Li-ion batteries have made inroads into the electric vehicle market with high energy densities, yet they still suffer from slow kinetics limited by the graphite anode. Here, electrolytes enabling extreme fast charging (XFC) of a microsized graphite anode without Li plating are designed. Comprehensive characterization and simulations on the diffusion of Li in the bulk electrolyte, charge-transfer process, and the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) demonstrate that high ionic conductivity, low desolvation energy of Li , and protective SEI are essential for XFC.

A facile approach toward multifunctional polyethersulfone membranes via in situ cross-linked copolymerization.

In this study, multifunctional polyethersulfone (PES) membranes are prepared via in situ cross-linked copolymerization coupled with a liquid-liquid phase separation technique. Acrylic acid (AA) and N-vinylpyrrolidone (VP) are copolymerized in PES solution, and the solution is then directly used to prepare PES membranes. The infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy testing, scanning electron microscopy, and water contact angle measurements confirm the successful modification of pristine PES membrane.