Enhanced low-temperature ionic conductivity via different Li+ solvated clusters in organic solvent/ionic liquid mixed electrolytes.

We investigate Li+ coordination in mixed electrolytes based on ionic liquids (ILs) and organic solvents and its relation with the macroscopic properties such as phase behaviour and ionic conductivity. Using Raman spectroscopy we determine the solvation shell around Li+ in mixtures formed by the IL N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, the organic solvents ethylene carbonate and dimethyl carbonate (EC : DMC 1 : 1), and the salt LiTFSI. We find that the organic solvent molecules preferentially solvate Li+ as long as there are enough of them. Our results are consistent with a model where Li(EC)3(DMC)1 and Li(EC)2(DMC)2 are the main complexes formed by the organic solvent molecules and where TFSI- mainly participates in Li(TFSI)2- clusters. As the amount of organic solvent is increased, the number of TFSI- around Li+ rapidly decreases showing a higher affinity of the organic solvents to solvate Li+. The changes in the local configurations are also reflected in the ionic conductivity and the phase behaviour. The formation of larger clusters leads to a decrease in the conductivity, whereas the presence of several different clusters at intermediate compositions effectively hinders crystallization at low temperatures. The result is an enhanced low-temperature ionic conductivity in comparison with the pure IL or organic solvent electrolytes.

The Quest for Polysulfides in Lithium-Sulfur Battery Electrolytes: An Operando Confocal Raman Spectroscopy Study.

Confocal Raman spectra of a lithium-sulfur battery electrolyte are recorded operando in a depth-of-discharge resolved manner for an electrochemical cell with a realistic electrolyte/sulfur loading ratio. The evolution of various possible polysulfides is unambiguously identified by combining Raman spectroscopy data with DFT simulations.

Superior ion-conducting hybrid solid electrolyte for all-solid-state batteries.

Herein, we developed a high-performance lithium ion conducting hybrid solid electrolyte, consisted of LiTFSI salt, Py14 TFSI ionic liquid, and TiO2 nanoparticles. The hybrid solid electrolyte prepared by a facile method had high room temperature ionic conductivity, excellent thermal stability and low interface resistance with good contact. In addition, the lithium transference number was highly increased by the scavenger effect of TiO2 nanoparticles. With the hybrid solid electrolyte, the pouch-type solid-state battery exhibited high initial discharge capacity of 150 mA h g(-1) at room temperature, and even at 1 C, the reversible capacity was as high as 106 mA h g(-1) .

Physical properties, ion-ion interactions, and conformational states of ionic liquids with alkyl-phosphonate anions.

We investigate the ionic conductivities, phase behaviors, conformational states, and interactions of three ionic liquids based on imidazolium cations and phosphonate anions with varying alkyl chain lengths. All three ionic liquids show high conductivities, with 1,3-dimethylimidazolium methyl-phosphonate [DiMIm(MeO)(H)PO2] being the most conductive (7.3 × 10(-3) S cm(-1) at 298 K). The high ionic conductivities are a result of the low glass-transition temperatures, Tg, which do not change significantly upon changing the cation and/or anion size. However, there is a slight dependence of the temperature behavior of the conductivity on the size of the ions, as seen from the fragility parameter (D) obtained from fits to the Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann equation. The molecular-level structure and interactions of the phosphonate anions were examined by Raman spectroscopy and first-principles calculations. The calculations identify two stable conformations for the methyl- and ethyl-phosphonate anions by rotation of the methyl and ethyl groups, respectively. The broad Raman signatures of the anions suggest the coexistence of two anion conformers in the ionic liquids and non-negligible cation-anion interactions, with a dependence on the position and shape of the bands of the cation species and the alkyl group of the anion.

Ionic liquids and oligomer electrolytes based on the B(CN)4(-) anion; ion association, physical and electrochemical properties.

The role of B(CN)(4)(-) (Bison) as a component of battery electrolytes is addressed by investigating the ionic conductivity and phase behaviour of ionic liquids (ILs), ion association mechanisms, and the electrochemical stability and cycling properties of LiBison based electrochemical cells. For C(4)mpyrBison and C(2)mimBison ILs, and mixtures thereof, high ionic conductivities (3.4 ≤σ(ion)≤ 18 mS cm(-1)) are measured, which together with the glass transition temperatures (-80 ≤T(g)≤-76 °C) are found to shift systematically for most compositions. Unfortunately, poor solubility of LiBison in these ILs hinders their use as solvents for lithium salts, although good NaBison solubility offers an alternative application in Na(+) conducting electrolytes. The poor IL solubility of LiBison is predicted to be a result of a preferred monodentate ion association, according to first principles modelling, supported by Raman spectroscopy. The solubility is much improved in strongly Li(+) coordinating oligomers, for example polyethylene glycol dimethyl ether (PEGDME), with the practical performance tested in electrochemical cells. The electrolyte is found to be stable in Li/LiFePO(4) coin cells up to 4 V vs. Li and shows promising cycling performance, with a capacity retention of 99% over 22 cycles.

Ion-ion and ion-solvent interactions in lithium imidazolide electrolytes studied by Raman spectroscopy and DFT models.

Molecular level interactions are of crucial importance for the transport properties and overall performance of ion conducting electrolytes. In this work we explore ion-ion and ion-solvent interactions in liquid and solid polymer electrolytes of lithium 4,5-dicyano-(2-trifluoromethyl)imidazolide (LiTDI)-a promising salt for lithium battery applications-using Raman spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. High concentrations of ion associates are found in LiTDI:acetonitrile electrolytes, the vibrational signatures of which are transferable to PEO-based LiTDI electrolytes. The origins of the spectroscopic changes are interpreted by comparing experimental spectra with simulated Raman spectra of model structures. Simple ion pair models in vacuum identify the imidazole nitrogen atom of the TDI anion to be the most important coordination site for Li(+), however, including implicit or explicit solvent effects lead to qualitative changes in the coordination geometry and improved correlation of experimental and simulated Raman spectra. To model larger aggregates, solvent effects are found to be crucial, and we finally suggest possible triplet and dimer ionic structures in the investigated electrolytes. In addition, the effects of introducing water into the electrolytes-via a hydrate form of LiTDI-are discussed.