%0 Journal Article
%A He, Xin
%A Yan, Bo
%A Zhang, Xin
%A Liu, Zigeng
%A Bresser, Dominic
%A Wang, Jun
%A Wang, Rui
%A Cao, Xia
%A Su, Yixi
%A Jia, Hao
%A Grey, Clare P.
%A Frielinghaus, Henrich
%A Truhlar, Donald G.
%A Winter, Martin
%A Li, Jie
%A Paillard, Elie-Elisée
%T Fluorine-free water-in-ionomer electrolytes for sustainable lithium-ion batteries
%J Nature Communications
%V 9
%N 1
%@ 2041-1723
%C [London]
%I Nature Publishing Group UK
%M FZJ-2018-07629
%P 5320
%D 2018
%X The continuously increasing number and size of lithium-based batteries developed for large-scale applications raise serious environmental concerns. Herein, we address the issues related to electrolyte toxicity and safety by proposing a “water-in-ionomer” type of electrolyte which replaces organic solvents by water and expensive and toxic fluorinated lithium salts by a non-fluorinated, inexpensive and non-toxic superabsorbing ionomer, lithium polyacrylate. Interestingly, the electrochemical stability window of this electrolyte is extended greatly, even for high water contents. Particularly, the gel with 50 wt% ionomer exhibits an electrochemical stability window of 2.6 V vs. platinum and a conductivity of 6.5 mS cm−1 at 20 °C. Structural investigations suggest that the electrolytes locally self-organize and most likely switch local structures with the change of water content, leading to a 50% gel with good conductivity and elastic properties. A LiTi2(PO4)3/LiMn2O4 lithium-ion cell incorporating this electrolyte provided an average discharge voltage > 1.5 V and a specific energy of 77 Wh kg−1, while for an alternative cell chemistry, i.e., TiO2/LiMn2O4, a further enhanced average output voltage of 2.1 V and an initial specific energy of 124.2 Wh kg−1 are achieved.
%F PUB:(DE-HGF)16
%9 Journal Article
%$ pmid:30552314
%U <Go to ISI:>//WOS:000453244600003
%R 10.1038/s41467-018-07331-6
%U https://juser.fz-juelich.de/record/858789