Competitive Solvation Chemistry Modulated Nonflammable Pseudo Ultralow Concentration Electrolyte Toward High‐Voltage Li Metal Batteries

Abstract Lithium metal anodes are considered as optimal choice for high‐energy batteries; however, uncontrollable dendritic growth, low Coulombic efficiency, and safety concerns limit their practical applications. Herein, a concept of pseudo ultralow concentration electrolyte featuring high ion conductivity, high Li + transference number, nonflammability, and broad electrochemical window is proposed via incorporating a high ratio of fluoroether inert cosolvent into a phosphate‐based active solvent for high‐voltage lithium metal batteries. Intermolecular dipole–dipole interactions between the fluoroether and phosphate trigger a competitive solvation effect among the cosolvent, phosphate, and Li + , which can effectively regulate Li + solvation structure, thereby weakening the Li + ‐phosphate interaction and promoting anionic participation in the solvation sheath. Such enriched Li + ‐anion configuration facilitates the preferred decomposition of anions and the formation of highly conductive and mechanically robust solid electrolyte interphase, which induces dense and homogeneous lithium deposition and achieves high Li plating/stripping efficiency. Consequently, a Li||Cu cell with an as‐designed electrolyte obtains a high Coulombic efficiency of 99.1%. Additionally, the Li||NCM622 cell exhibits a high initial specific capacity of >170.8 mAh g −1 over 200 cycles with 99.4% capacity retention. This work presents a novel strategy for designing ultralow‐concentration electrolytes for high‐energy metal batteries.

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Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Functional Materials
Published
2025-05-07
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202500500
Citations
9
Primary Topic
Advanced Battery Materials and Technologies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
6.57

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article

Competitive Solvation Chemistry Modulated Nonflammable Pseudo Ultralow Concentration Electrolyte Toward High‐Voltage Li Metal Batteries

Yuexin Cai, Kaifu Huo, Biao Gao, Xuequan Zhu et al.
9 citations
Advanced Functional Materials
Advanced Battery Materials and Technologies
6.57
article

Competitive Solvation Chemistry Modulated Nonflammable Pseudo Ultralow Concentration Electrolyte Toward High‐Voltage Li Metal Batteries

Yuexin Cai, Kaifu Huo, Biao Gao, Xuequan Zhu, Yang Zheng, Qifei Guo, Lu Chen, Xuming Zhang, Zichen Lin, Zhuo Li
article en
9 citations

Abstract

Abstract Lithium metal anodes are considered as optimal choice for high‐energy batteries; however, uncontrollable dendritic growth, low Coulombic efficiency, and safety concerns limit their practical applications. Herein, a concept of pseudo ultralow concentration electrolyte featuring high ion conductivity, high Li + transference number, nonflammability, and broad electrochemical window is proposed via incorporating a high ratio of fluoroether inert cosolvent into a phosphate‐based active solvent for high‐voltage lithium metal batteries. Intermolecular dipole–dipole interactions between the fluoroether and phosphate trigger a competitive solvation effect among the cosolvent, phosphate, and Li + , which can effectively regulate Li + solvation structure, thereby weakening the Li + ‐phosphate interaction and promoting anionic participation in the solvation sheath. Such enriched Li + ‐anion configuration facilitates the preferred decomposition of anions and the formation of highly conductive and mechanically robust solid electrolyte interphase, which induces dense and homogeneous lithium deposition and achieves high Li plating/stripping efficiency. Consequently, a Li||Cu cell with an as‐designed electrolyte obtains a high Coulombic efficiency of 99.1%. Additionally, the Li||NCM622 cell exhibits a high initial specific capacity of >170.8 mAh g −1 over 200 cycles with 99.4% capacity retention. This work presents a novel strategy for designing ultralow‐concentration electrolytes for high‐energy metal batteries.

Advanced Functional MaterialsVol. 35(42)
Xiamen University (CN), Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics (CN), Wuhan University of Science and Technology (CN), Huazhong University of Science and Technology (CN)
National Natural Science Foundation of China, National Key Research and Development Program of China
Openalex Percentile: Top 3%
Advanced Battery Materials and Technologies
6.57
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