Poly(ester-alt-acetal) Electrolyte via In Situ Copolymerization for High-Voltage Lithium Metal Batteries: Lithium Salt Catalysts Deciding Stable Solid-Electrolyte Interphase

Abstract

The in situ-formed polymer electrolytes provide a vital solution for improving both safety and performance in the high-voltage lithium metal batteries. This study reports new poly(ester-alt-acetal) (PEA) electrolytes, synthesized through in situ alternating copolymerization of glutaric anhydride and 1,3-dioxane. In the presence of 25 wt.% lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI), three lithium salts, lithium difluoro(oxalate)borate (LiDFOB), lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6), and lithium tetrafluoroborate (LiBF4) are employed as the catalysts for the copolymerization. These lithium salts can modulate the compositions of the solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer. PEA-LiPF6 exhibits outstanding SEI chemistry, with observing the highest LiF content, thereby achieving a remarkable critical current density of up to 2.5 mA cm−2, a Li+ transference number of 0.81, and an expansive electrochemical stability window of 6.0 V. Furthermore, PEA-LiPF6 demonstrates noteworthy capacity retention rates of 96.6% (0.5 C, 200th/first cycle in LiFePO4||Li), 95.6% (0.5 C, 100th/first cycle in LiMn0.6Fe0.4PO4||Li), 95.1% (1 C, 100th/first cycle in LiCoO2||Li), and 87.0% (1 C, 100th/first cycle in LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2||Li full-cells). This work demonstrates a facile in situ route to fabricate polymer electrolytes for high-voltage lithium-metal batteries with balanced and comprehensive performance.