The Vilas Pol Energy Research (ViPER) Group at Purdue University has conducted research that offers potential for creating rechargeable lithium-metal batteries with a high energy density, as well as finding a solution to the problem of electrochemical oxidation instability in electrolytes that contain ether.
The study was printed in the February 10 edition of Nature Communications. Zheng Li, a graduate research assistant at Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, was responsible for writing the paper as the main author.
The ViPER Group concentrates on creating and producing high-volume substances for safer versions of lithium-ion, lithium-sulfur, sodium-ion, solid-state, and extremely low-temperature batteries that will be used in the future.
In order to meet carbon emission targets and keep up with high energy storage demands in both consumer electronics and electric vehicles, there has been a significant increase in the development of energy storage technologies. This has resulted in a need for advanced Li batteries with higher energy density and improved safety features. Vilas Pol, a chemical engineering professor who has been in charge of Purdue's top labs for battery production and conducting electrochemical and thermal safety tests since 2014, stated this.
Using high-energy lithium metal instead of traditional graphite as an anode material is a very auspicious method. Nevertheless, this ideal anode material has some complicated disadvantages such as low durability and safety concerns.
According to Pol, it is crucial for the advancement of new LMB technologies to carefully create appropriate liquid electrolyte chemistry that is compatible with potential anodes and cathodes.
The scientists conducted research showing that a low concentration electrolyte containing ether can withstand the constant use of practical LMB devices, even when operated at high voltages of 4.3 V, as long as the solvent used is highly nonpolar dipropyl ether and industry-standard configurations are used.
address the difficulty of achieving a sustained cycling of both the Li metal anode and high-voltage cathode while using a dilute ether-based electrolyte, as explained by Li. Although ethers are relatively compatible with the Li metal anode, they tend to lack stability when it comes to oxidation. Our ultimate objective, therefore, was to overcome this issue. Expanding their ability to handle high voltages was a priority. We discovered that the way dilute ether-based electrolytes behave when they are solvated is directly linked to their performance on a high-voltage positive electrode at the molecular level.
the correlations of the system, and this was confirmed through a combination of in-depth classical molecular dynamics simulations, density functional theory calculations, and multiple experimental methods. Specifically, the study showed that altering the way ether-based electrolytes interact with solvents can lead to changes in how the system behaves overall. The sequence in which solvation species degrade is altered to create a strong shield on the surface of the cathode. Additionally, the composition of the electric double layer on the surface is modified to stop oxidation of ether.
unlike traditional methods which require expensive ultra-high concentration electrolytes or molecular fluorination to enhance electrolyte stability. The ViPER group created a novel kinetic-suppression approach, resulting in the development of the LMB. It is anticipated that the energy density of these batteries will increase by 40% when compared to traditional Li-ion batteries.