Anion Concentration–Regulated Interface Stabilization Enabling High‐Performance Lithium Metal Batteries

Rechargeable Li metal batteries offer high energy density due to the high capacity and low reduction potential of Li metal anodes, but their practical application is hindered by dendritic growth that induces significant volume expansion, low Coulombic efficiency (CE), and safety risks. To address these challenges, we rationally designed an electrolyte based on a systematic investigation of the effect of anion‐rich environments on interfacial stability. To specifically probe the role of anions, we employed a concentrated electrolyte system. Lithium bis(fluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiFSI) was selected as the lithium salt in combination with diethyl ether (DEE), a monodentate ether that reduces steric hindrance and promotes simplified solvation behavior. The optimized 6 m LiFSI‐DEE electrolyte enabled Li symmetric and Li/Cu cells to cycle stably for over 1200 h at 0.5 mA c m −2 and 1 mAh cm −2 , demonstrating superior interfacial stability, a benefit that extended to Li/LFP full cells and Cu/LFP anode‐less cells, both of which showed significantly improved cycling performance. The 6 m electrolyte promotes anion decomposition, forming a LiF‐rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) that stabilizes the interface. In addition, the interfacial morphological evolution was directly visualized by operando optical microscopy and SEM, confirming a more uniform and compact Li deposition. These results highlight that anion concentration effectively modulates the Li + solvation environment and SEI chemistry, providing a robust design strategy for next‐generation Li metal battery electrolytes.

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Publication Details

Journal
Energy & environment materials
Published
2026-01-15
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/eem2.70266
Primary Topic
Advanced Battery Materials and Technologies
Type
article
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article

Anion Concentration–Regulated Interface Stabilization Enabling High‐Performance Lithium Metal Batteries

Jiung Cho, Seungho Yu, So Hee Kim, June Huh et al.
Energy & environment materials
Advanced Battery Materials and Technologies
article

Anion Concentration–Regulated Interface Stabilization Enabling High‐Performance Lithium Metal Batteries

Jiung Cho, Seungho Yu, So Hee Kim, June Huh, Jong‐Seong Bae, Min‐Jeong Yi, Seung‐Yeon Jung
article en

Abstract

Rechargeable Li metal batteries offer high energy density due to the high capacity and low reduction potential of Li metal anodes, but their practical application is hindered by dendritic growth that induces significant volume expansion, low Coulombic efficiency (CE), and safety risks. To address these challenges, we rationally designed an electrolyte based on a systematic investigation of the effect of anion‐rich environments on interfacial stability. To specifically probe the role of anions, we employed a concentrated electrolyte system. Lithium bis(fluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiFSI) was selected as the lithium salt in combination with diethyl ether (DEE), a monodentate ether that reduces steric hindrance and promotes simplified solvation behavior. The optimized 6 m LiFSI‐DEE electrolyte enabled Li symmetric and Li/Cu cells to cycle stably for over 1200 h at 0.5 mA c m −2 and 1 mAh cm −2 , demonstrating superior interfacial stability, a benefit that extended to Li/LFP full cells and Cu/LFP anode‐less cells, both of which showed significantly improved cycling performance. The 6 m electrolyte promotes anion decomposition, forming a LiF‐rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) that stabilizes the interface. In addition, the interfacial morphological evolution was directly visualized by operando optical microscopy and SEM, confirming a more uniform and compact Li deposition. These results highlight that anion concentration effectively modulates the Li + solvation environment and SEI chemistry, providing a robust design strategy for next‐generation Li metal battery electrolytes.

Energy & environment materials
Korea University (KR), Sejong University (KR), Korea Basic Science Institute (KR), Advanced Analysis Center (JP), Korea University (JP), Hongik University (KR)
Affordable and clean energy
Openalex Percentile: Top 87%
Advanced Battery Materials and Technologies
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Anion Concentration–Regulated Interface Stabilization Enabling High‐Performance Lithium Metal Batteries — Jiung Cho, Seungho Yu, et al. · Energy & environment materials (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS