Existing condition and migration property of ions in lithium electrolytes with ionic liquid solvent

Ionization conditions of each ionic species in lithium ionic liquid electrolytes, LiTFSI/BMI-TFSI and LiTFSI/BDMI-TFSI, were confirmed based on the diffusion coefficients of the species measured by the pulsed gradient spin-echo (PGSE) NMR technique. We found that the diffusion coefficient ratios of the cation and anion species D(Li)(obs)/D(F)(obs) of the lithium salt and D(H)(obs)/D(F)(obs) of the ionic liquid solvent were effective guides to evaluate the ionization condition responsible for their mobility. Lithium ions were found to be stabilized, forming the solvated species as Li(TFSI)3(2-). TFSI- anion coordination could be relaxed by the dispersion of silica to form a gel electrolyte, LiTFSI/BDMI-TFSI/silica. It is expected that the oxygen sites on the silica directly attract Li+, releasing the TFSI- coordination. The lithium species, loosing TFSI- anions, kept a random walk feature in the gel without the diffusion restriction attributed from the strong chemical and morphological effect as that in the gel with the polymer. We can conclude that the silica dispersion is a significant approach to provide the appropriate lithium ion condition as a charge-transporting species in the ionic liquid electrolytes.     

Li+ cation environment, transport, and mechanical properties of the LiTFSI doped N-methyl-N-alkylpyrrolidinium+TFSI- ionic liquids

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have been performed on N-methyl-N-propylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (mppy(+)TFSI(-)) and N,N-dimethyl- pyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (mmpy(+)TFSI(+)) ionic liquids (ILs) doped with 0.25 mol fraction LiTFSI salt at 303-500 K. The liquid density, ion self-diffusion coefficients, and conductivity predicted by MD simulations were found to be in good agreement with experimental data, where available. MD simulations reveal that the Li(+) environment is similar in mppy(+)TFSI(-) and mmpy(+)TFSI(+) ILs doped with LiTFSI. The Li(+) cations were found to be coordinated on average by slightly less than four oxygen atoms with each oxygen atom being contributed by a different TFSI(-) anion. Significant lithium aggregation by sharing up to three TFSI(-) anions bridging two lithiums was observed, particularly at lower temperatures where the lithium aggregates were found to be stable for tens of nanoseconds. Polarization of TFSI(-) anions is largely responsible for the formation of such lithium aggregates. Li(+) transport was found to occur primarily by exchange of TFSI(-) anions in the first coordination shell with a smaller (approximately 30%) contribution also due to Li(+) cations diffusing together with their first coordination shell. In both ILs, ion self-diffusion coefficients followed the order Li(+) < TFSI(-) < mmpy(+) or mppy(+) with all ion diffusion in mmpy(+)TFSI(-) being systematically slower than that in mppy(+)TFSI(-). Conductivity due to the Li(+) cation in LiTFSI doped mppy(+)TFSI(-) IL was found to be greater than that for a model poly(ethylene oxide)(PEO)/LiTFSI polymer electrolyte but significantly lower than that for an ethylene carbonate/LiTFSI liquid electrolyte. Finally, the time-dependent shear modulus for the LiTFSI doped ILs was found to be similar to that for a model poly(ethylene oxide)(PEO)/LiTFSI polymer electrolyte on the subnanosecond time scale.     

Effect of lithium salt on the stability of dispersions of fumed silica in the ionic liquid BMImBF4

We have investigated the stability and interactions in dispersions of colloidal fumed silica, Aerosil 200, and the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetraflouroborate (BMImBF(4)) as a function of the Li salt concentration (LiBF(4)). Photon correlation spectroscopy was used to study the aggregation behavior at low silica concentrations, and Raman spectroscopy was used to investigate the interactions in the ionic liquid and with the silica surface. We find that the addition of LiBF(4) increases the stability of the dispersions, with smaller agglomerates of silica particles and higher gelation concentrations in the presence of Li salt. The increased stability with the addition of Li salt is explained by the formation of a more stable solvation layer, where Li ions accumulate on the surface. This leads to an increased interaction between lithium ions and the BF(4)(-) anions in the solvation layer, as seen by Raman spectroscopy. Upon gelation, the Li ions are expelled from the surface because hydrogen bonding between the silica particles are formed. For both neat BMImBF(4) and Li-salt-doped BMImBF(4)/silica dispersions, a weak gel phase was found preceding the formation of a strong gel at slightly higher silica concentrations.     

Transport coefficients, Raman spectroscopy, and computer simulation of lithium salt solutions in an ionic liquid

Lithium salt solutions of Li(CF3SO2)2N, LiTFSI, in a room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL), 1-butyl-2,3-dimethyl-imidazolium cation, BMMI, and the (CF3SO2)2N(-), bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide anion, [BMMI][TFSI], were prepared in different concentrations. Thermal properties, density, viscosity, ionic conductivity, and self-diffusion coefficients were determined at different temperatures for pure [BMMI][TFSI] and the lithium solutions. Raman spectroscopy measurements and computer simulations were also carried out in order to understand the microscopic origin of the observed changes in transport coefficients. Slopes of Walden plots for conductivity and fluidity, and the ratio between the actual conductivity and the Nernst-Einstein estimate for conductivity, decrease with increasing LiTFSI content. All of these studies indicated the formation of aggregates of different chemical nature, as it is corroborated by the Raman spectra. In addition, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations showed that the coordination of Li+ by oxygen atoms of TFSI anions changes with Li+ concentration producing a remarkable change of the RTIL structure with a concomitant reduction of diffusion coefficients of all species in the solutions.     

室温熔盐二(三氟甲基磺酸酰)亚胺锂-尿素体系的分子动力学模拟

应用分子动力学模拟了25 ℃和50 ℃时新型室温熔盐二(三氟甲基磺酸酰)亚胺锂[LiN(SO2CF3)2, LiTFSI]与尿素(摩尔比为1:3.6)体系的结构与动力学性质. 在两个温度下体系的微观结构基本相同, Li+的配位数约为5, 且都是与溶剂和阴离子中的氧原子发生配位. 对TFSI-的研究表明, 每个TFSI-只提供四个氧中的一个与Li+配位; 而且在Li+的配位层中, TFSI-具有顺、反和gauche 等不同的构象, 并且不同构象出现的几率会随着温度的改变而改变.     

Enhanced Lithium‐Ion Conductivity of Polymer Electrolytes by Selective Introduction of Hydrogen into the Anion

The anion chemistry of lithium salts plays a pivotal role in dictating the physicochemical and electrochemical performance of solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs), thus affecting the cyclability of all‐solid‐state lithium metal batteries (ASSLMBs). The bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide anion (TFSI^?) has long been studied as the most promising candidate for SPEs; however, the Li‐ion conductivities of the TFSI‐based SPEs still remain low (Li‐ion transference number: ca. 0.2). In this work, we report new hydrogen‐containing anions, conceived based on theoretical considerations, as an electrolyte salt for SPEs. SPEs comprising hydrogen‐containing anions achieve higher Li‐ion conductivities than TFSI‐based ones, and those anions are electrochemically stable for various kinds of ASSLMBs (Li–LiFePO₄, Li–S, and Li–O₂ batteries). This opens up a new avenue for designing safe and high‐performance ASSLMBs in the future.     

Effect of ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide on the properties of poly(glycidyl methacrylate) based solid polymer electrolytes

A free standing polymer electrolytes films, containing poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) as the polymer host, lithium perchlorate (LiClO₄), and ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide [Bmim][TFSI] as a plasticizer was successfully prepared via the solution casting method. The XRD analysis revealed the amorphous nature of the electrolyte. ATR-FTIR and thermal studies confirmed the interaction and complexation between the polymer host and the ionic liquid. The maximum ionic conductivity of the solid polymer electrolyte was found at 2.56 × 10^–5 S cm^–1 by the addition of 60 wt % [Bmim][TFSI] at room temperature and increased up to 3.19 × 10^–4 S cm^–1 at 373 K, as well as exhibited a transition of temperature dependence of conductivity: Arrhenius-like behavior at low and high temperatures.     

离子液体凝胶聚合物电解质的三元组分相互作用研究

采用Raman光谱、傅里叶转换红外光谱和X-射线衍射光谱研究N-甲基-N-丙基哌啶双三氟甲磺酸亚胺离子液体（PP13TFSI）和双三氟甲磺酸亚胺锂盐（LiTFSI）对PVDF-HFP聚合物聚合方式的影响,结果表明,PP13TFSI、LiTFSI和PVDF-HFP是共混存在的,同时加入PP13TFSI和LiTFSI会使聚合物的聚合方式由晶体结构转变为无定形结构. 通过对电解质及其各组分的线性扫描伏安曲线和热重曲线分析可知,溶剂N-甲基吡咯烷酮（NMP）容易残留在凝胶聚合物电解质（ILGPE）中,这会降低ILGPE的电化学稳定性和热稳定性. 作者对固态LiFePO₄|ILGPE|Li电池的倍率性能进行了研究,实验结果表明其具有较好的倍率性能,当电池倍率由C/10增大至2C,然后再回到C/10时,其容量可以恢复到原来的90.9%左右. 该研究结果对理解PP13TFSI和LiTFSI在ILGPE中的作用机理具有重要的意义.     

Molecular dynamics simulation of LiTFSI-acetamide electrolytes: structural properties

The liquid structures of nonaqueous electrolytes composed of lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) and acetamide, with LiTFSI/acetamide molar ratios of 1:2, 1:4, and 1:6, were studied by molecular dynamics simulations. The simulations indicate that the Li+ cations prefer to be six-coordinate by the sulfonyl oxygen atoms of the TFSI- anions and the carbonyl oxygen atoms of the acetamide molecules, rather than by the most electronegative nitrogen atom of the TFSI- anion. Therefore, close Li+-TFSI- contact pairs exist in the system. The TFSI- anion prefers to provide only one of four possible oxygen atoms to coordinate to the same Li+ cation. Three conformations (cis, trans, and gauche) of the TFSI- anions were found to coexist in the liquid electrolyte. At high salt concentrations, the TFSI- anions mainly adopt the gauche conformation in order to provide more oxygen atoms to coordinate to different Li+ cations, while simultaneously reducing the repulsion among the Li+ cations. On the other hand, the fraction of TFSI- anions adopting the cis conformation is largest for the system with the molar ratio of 1:6, in which many clusters, mainly composed of the Li+ cations and the TFSI- anions, are immersed in the acetamide molecules. The size and charge distribution of clusters were also investigated. In the system with the molar ratio of 1:2, nearly all of the ions in the PBC (periodic boundary conditions) box aggregate into a bulky cluster that gradually disassembles into small clusters with decreasing salt concentration. The addition of acetamide molecules was found to effectively relax the liquid electrolyte structure, and the system with the molar ratio of 1:4 was found to exhibit a more homogeneous liquid structure than the other two electrolyte systems with molar ratios of 1:2 and 1:6.     

High-performance pyrrolidinium-based poly(ionic liquid) binders for Li-ion and Li-air batteries

The role of binders is crucial to achieve high performance and long cycle lifes in next-generation electrodes for lithium batteries. Currently used binders in electrode configurations, such as poly(vinylidene difluoride) (PVDF) are inactive polymers that do not transport lithium ions themselves, causing restrictions for high-power applications. Thus, developing innovative binders with an affinity towards lithium mobility is important for both lithium-ion and lithium-air batteries. In this work, we present for the first time the use of PDADMA poly(ionic liquid)s with fluorinated anions (FSI, TFSI, BETI, and CFSO) as cathode binders in Li-ion and Li-air batteries. The high-voltage NMC 532 cathodes with fluorinated PDADMA binders showed improved cells performances as: capacity values, rate performance, and cycling stability in accelerating aging conditions dedicated for more environmental-friendly mobility applications. Especially, PDADMA-CFSO binder in cathodes shows a cell capacity increase of 26% at 5C (12 min charge), when compared to PVDF one. Moreover, the fluorinated PDADMA binders in cathode improve the discharge capacities in Li–O₂ cells, both with liquid and solid gel polymer electrolytes. Impressively, the Coulombic efficiency improves by 146% and the cycling capacity by 70% in solid-state Li–O₂ cells using PDADMA-CFSO binder in the cathode, instead of common lithiated Nafion. All in all, the proposed fluorinated PDADMA Poly(ionic liquid)s can be a highly competitive alternative to conventional binders used nowadays in Li-ion and Li-air batteries.     

Versatile heat resistant solid electrolytes with performances of liquid electrolytes

The confinement of ionic liquids (room temperature molten salts) within a porous silica matrix was performed by a one-step non-hydrolytic sol–gel route, leading to hybrid materials featuring both the mechanic and transparency properties of silica gels and the high ionic conductivity of ionic liquids, as well as a thermal stability up to around 550 K. Butylmethylimidazolium [BMI] or butylpyridinium [BPy] as cations with bis(trifluorosulfonyl)imide [TFSI] or tetrafluoroborate [BF₄] as anions along with a silica matrix showed similar properties.     

A novel ternary polymer electrolyte for LMP batteries based on thermal cross-linked poly(urethane acrylate) in presence of a lithium salt and an ionic liquid

A new ternary polymer electrolyte based on thermally cross-linked poly(urethane acrylate) (PUA), lithium bis(trifluoromethansulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) and the ionic liquid N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium TFSI (PYR₁₄TFSI) was developed and tested for application in LMP batteries. The polymer electrolyte was a transparent yellow self-standing material with quite good mechanical properties, i.e., comparable to that of a flexible rubber. The room temperature ionic conductivity of the dry polymer electrolyte was found to be as high as 0.1 mS cm⁻¹ for the compound containing 40 wt% of ionic liquid (PYR₁₄TFSI) and a O/Li ratio of 15/1 (Li⁺ from LiTFSI). The thermal analysis of the new cross-linked electrolyte showed that it was homogeneous, amorphous and stable over a wide temperature range extending from −40 °C to 100 °C. The homogeneity of the polymer electrolyte was also confirmed by SEM analysis.     

Lithium solvation in bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide-based ionic liquids

The lithium solvation in (1 -x)(EMI-TFSI), xLiTFSI ionic liquids where EMI(+) is the 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium cation and TFSI(-) the bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide anion, is shown by Raman spectroscopy to involve essentially [Li(TFSI)(2)](-) anionic clusters for 0 < x < 0.4, but addition of stoichiometric amounts of solvents S such as oligoethers changes the lithium solvation into [Li(S)(m)](+) cationic clusters; the lithium transference number in TFSI-based ionic liquid electrolytes for lithium batteries should thus be strongly improved.     

Improved properties of polymer electrolyte by ionic liquid PP1.3TFSI for secondary lithium ion battery

A new kind of polymer electrolyte is prepared from N-methyl-N-propylpiperidinium bis (trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide (PP1.3TFSI), polyethylene oxide (PEO), and lithium bis (trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide (LiTFSI). IR and X-ray diffraction results demonstrate that the addition of ionic liquid decreases the crystallization of PEO. Thermal and electrochemical properties have been tested for the solid polymer electrolytes, the addition of the room temperature molten salt PP1.3TFSI to the conventional P(EO)₂₀LiTFSI polymer electrolyte leads to the improvement of the thermal stability and the ionic conductivity (x = 1.27, 2.06 × 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹ at room temperature), and the reasonable lithium transference number is also obtained. The Li/LiFePO₄ cell using this polymer electrolyte shows promising reversible capacity, 120 mAh g⁻¹ at room temperature and 164 mAh g⁻¹ at 55 °C.     

Structure and dynamics of N-methyl-N-propylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide ionic liquid from molecular dynamics simulations

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed on N-methyl-N-propylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (mppy+TFSI-) from 303 to 393 K to improve understanding of the structure and ion transport of this ionic liquid. The density, ion self-diffusion coefficients, conductivity, and viscosity of mppy+TFSI- predicted from MD simulations are in good agreement with experimental measurements. The time-dependent shear modulus of the ionic liquids was calculated and compared with that for nonionic liquids. On average each mppy+ cation was found to be coordinated by four TFSI- anions. The angular distributions of N(TFSI-)-N(mppy+)-N(TFSI-) and N(mppy+)-N(TFSI-)-N(mppy+) exhibit a maximum at 80-90 degrees and a second maximum at 180 degrees . Correlation of ion motion was found to lower ionic conductivity by approximately one-third from the expected value based upon ion self-diffusion coefficients. Rotational motion of the cation and anion are anisotropic with the degree of anisotropy increasing with decreasing temperature. Electrostatic interactions are responsible for slowing down the dynamics of the ionic liquid by more than an order of magnitude and a dramatic decrease of the time-dependent shear modulus.     

Relative hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity of some "ionic liquid" anions determined by the 1-propanol probing methodology: a differential thermodynamic approach

The excess partial molar enthalpy of 1-propanol (1P), H(E) (1P), was experimentally measured in ternary 1P-[NaPF(6), NaCF(3)SO(3) (OTF) or NaN(SO(2)CF(3))(2) (TFSI)]-H(2)O system. From the H(E) (1P), the enthalpic 1P-1P interaction function, H(E) (1P-1P), which is the compositional derivative of H(E) (1P), was evaluated graphically. On addition of the Na salt, the x(1P)-dependence pattern of H(E) (1P-1P) showed a characteristic change. This induced change is used as a probe to elucidate the effect of the sample Na-salt on H(2)O. Because we know the effect of Na(+) from our previous work, we show that each anion works as an amphiphile with hydrophobic and hydrophilic effects. Furthermore, the present method can quantify its relative hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity separately. The results indicate that the relative hydrophobicity ranking was in the order of TFSI(-) > PF(6-) approximately OTF(-), and the hydrophilicity TFSI(-) > PF6(- )> OTF-. Namely, TFSI- is the strongest amphiphile with the strongest hydrophobicity and the strongest hydrophilicity among the ionic liquid (IL) anions studied here. Using our earlier similar studies for normal ions, we map their relative hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity scales on a two-dimensional map together with those of the IL ions. The resulting map shows that the typical constituent ions for "ionic liquids" are strong amphiphiles; with more strongly hydrophobic and more strongly hydrophilic propensities than normal ions. Although the number of data points is limited, the melting points of ionic liquids consisting of TFSI(-) with the strongest hydrophobicity and the strongest hydrophilicity within the anions studied here are the lowest.     

Lithium ion solvation in room-temperature ionic liquids involving bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide anion studied by Raman spectroscopy and DFT calculations

The solvation structure of the lithium ion in room-temperature ionic liquids 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide (EMI(+)TFSI(-)) and N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide (BMP(+0TFSI(-)) has been studied by Raman spectroscopy and DFT calculations. Raman spectra of EMI(+)TFSI(-) and BMP(+)TFSI(-) containing Li(+)TFSI(-) over the range 0.144-0.589 and 0.076-0.633 mol dm(-3), respectively, were measured at 298 K. A strong 744 cm-1 band of the free TFSI(-) ion in the bulk weakens with increasing concentration of the lithium ion, and it revealed by analyzing the intensity decrease that the two TFSI(-) ions bind to the metal ion. The lithium ion may be four-coordinated through the O atoms of two bidentate TFSI(-) ions. It has been established in our previous work that the TFSI(-) ion involves two conformers of C(1) (cis) and C(2) (trans) symmetries in equilibrium, and the dipole moment of the C(1) conformer is significantly larger than that of the C(2) conformer. On the basis of these facts, the geometries and SCF energies of possible solvate ion clusters [Li(C(1)-TFSI(-))(2)](-), [Li(C(1)-TFSI(-))(C(2)-TFSI(-))](-), and [Li(C(2)-TFSI(-))(2)](-) were examined using the theoretical DFT calculations. It is concluded that the C(1) conformer is more preferred to the C(2) conformer in the vicinity of the lithium ion.     

Superior performance for lithium-ion battery with organic cathode and ionic liquid electrolyte

Organic small structure quinones go with ionic liquids electrolytes would exhibit ultrastable electrochemical properties.In this study,calix[6]quinone(C6Q) cathode was matched with ionic liquid electrolyte Li[TFSI]/[PY13][TFSI](bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide lithium salt/N-methyl-N-pro pylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide) to assemble lithium-ion batteries(LIBs).The electrochemical performance of LIBs was systematically studied.The capacity retention rates of C6Q through 1000 cycles at current densities of 0.2 C and 0.5 C were 70% and 72%,respectively.At 5 C, the capacity was maintained at 190 mAh g^-1 after 1000 cycles,and 155 mAh g^-1 even after 10,000 cycles,comparable to inorganic materials.This work would give a big push to the practical process of organic electrode materials in energy storage.     

Simultaneous electronic and ionic conduction in a block copolymer: application in lithium battery electrodes

Charging ahead: Separate values for the simultaneous electronic and ionic conductivity of a conjugated polymer containing poly(3-hexylthiophene) and poly(ethylene oxide) (P3HT-PEO) were determined by using ac impedance and dc techniques. P3HT-PEO was used as binder, and transporter of electronic charge and Li(+) ions in a LiFePO(4) cathode, which was incorporated into solid-state lithium batteries (see picture; TFSI=bis(trifluoromethane sulfone)imide).     

Understanding Structural and Transport Properties of Dissolved Li2S8 in Ionic Liquid Electrolytes through Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Lithium-sulfur batteries with high energy density are considered as one of the most promising future energy storage devices. However, the parasitic lithium polysulfides shuttle phenomenon severely hinders the commercialization of such batteries. Ionic liquids have been found to suppress the lithium polysulfides solubility, diminishing the shuttle effect effectively. Herein, we performed classical molecular dynamics simulations to explore the microscopic mechanism and transport behaviors of typical Li₂S₈ species in ionic liquids and ionic liquid-based electrolyte systems. We found that the trifluoromethanesulfonate anions ([OTf]⁻) exhibit higher coordination strength with lithium ions compared with bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide anions ([TFSI]⁻) in static microstructures. However, the dynamical characteristics indicate that the presence of the [OTf]⁻ anions in ionic liquid electrolytes bring faster Li⁺ exchange rate and easier dissociation of Li⁺ solvation structures. Our simulation models offer a significant guidance to future studies on designing ionic liquid electrolytes for lithium-sulfur batteries.