Researchers worldwide are looking into ways to enhance the performance of rechargeable lithium-ion and lithium-metal batteries, which power everything from electric vehicles to laptops and phones.
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Researchers from China examine new options for the electrolyte, the conductive medium at the center of a battery, in an article published in the open-access Journal of Power Sources Advances.
The mixture of electrically charged particles (ions) in a battery’s electrolyte allows for the transfer of electric charge inside the battery. When a battery is used and recharged repeatedly, the electrolyte makes it possible for ions to move back and forth in both directions.
The identity and chemical makeup of an electrolyte’s negatively charged ions (anions) play a major role in determining its properties. Both enable the movement of positively charged lithium ions through the electrolyte.
Existing electrolytes, however, have several serious drawbacks, such as flammability, volatility, and chemical instability. Alternative anions could help to solve these issues and enhance battery performance, according to research into these issues.
The bis(fluorsulfonyl)imide anion (FSI–), which has atoms of nitrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and fluorine, is one promising substitute being investigated for a new generation of batteries.
The authors examined the development of different methods for creating FSI-based electrolytes and evaluated their effectiveness in several prototype lithium-based battery systems.
They highlight the benefits of these new electrolytes over the systems that are presently preeminent, emphasizing their chemical stability, increased ion mobility, higher conductivity, and other advantageous chemical characteristics.
The article also discusses issues that will require further studies, such as creating effective and environmentally friendly processes for producing these electrolytes and the requirement for a deeper comprehension of their chemical behavior in actual battery applications.
The authors anticipate that work investigating other potential electrolytes for future batteries could be aided by research into FSI- ions. These advancements could be crucial for incorporating lithium battery technology into pretty sizeable storage facilities for national power grid applications.
Journal Reference:
Song, Z., et al. (2022) Bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide-based electrolyte for rechargeable lithium batteries: A perspective. Journal of Power Sources Advances. doi:10.1016/j.powera.2022.100088.