Solvent-free protic liquid enabling batteries operation at an ultra-wide temperature range

Abstract

Nowadays, electrolytes for commercial batteries are mostly liquid solutions composed of solvent and salt to migrate the ions. However, solvents of the electrolyte bring several inherent limitations, either the electrochemical window, working temperature, volatility or flammability. Herein, we report polyphosphoric acid as a solvent-free protic liquid electrolyte, which excludes the demerits of solvent and exhibits unprecedented superiorities, including nonflammability, wider electrochemical stability window (>2.5 V) than aqueous electrolyte, low volatility and wide working temperature range (>400 °C). The proton conductive electrolyte enables MoO3/LiVPO4F rocking-chair battery to operate well in a wide temperature range from 0 °C to 250 °C and deliver a high power density of 4975 W kg−1 at a high temperature of 100 °C. The solvent-free electrolyte could provide a viable route for the stable and safe batteries working under harsh conditions, opening up a route towards designing wide-temperature electrolytes.