Electrolyte

Solvent-Anchored, Non-Flammable Electrolytes (SAFE)

Electrolyte

Solvent-Anchored, Non-Flammable Electrolytes (SAFE)

SAFE paired with NMC and graphite achieved >400 cycles without capacity decay Battery electrolytes containing organic solvents are often flammable, which poses safety concerns. Non-flammable, solvent-free polymer electrolytes have been developed, but due to limited ionic conductivity at room temperature, are limited to elevated temperature operation. Gel electrolytes have higher ionic conductivity at room temperature, but their safety is compromised without anchored solvent molecules. Researchers at Stanford and UC Berkeley created solvent-anchored, non-flammable electrolytes (SAFE). This SAFE has increased ionic conductivity at room temperature without undermining its non-flammability. When paired with commercially-available NMC and graphite electrodes, SAFE achieved >400 cycles at room temperature with no significant capacity decay. SAFE is comprised of lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide [LiFSI], dimethoxyethane [DME] and polysiloxane tethered with ion-solvating functional groups. The solvent coordinates with both salt and polymer, which plasticizes the polymer and increases ionic conductivity. Solvent-anchored polymer electrolyte addresses two challenges of polymer and gel electrolytes: low conductivity at room temperature and flammability concerns. SAFE has a room temperature ionic conductivity of 1.6 mS/cm and an operating window of 25oC - 100oC.

Academia | P. 222 Source: Huang, Z. Lai, J.C., Kong, X., Rajkovic I., Xiao X., Celik H., Yan H., Gong H., Rudnicki P., Lin Y., Ye Y., Li Y., Chen Y., Gao X., Jiang Y., Choudhury S., Qin J., Tok J.B.H., Cui Y., Bao Z.

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