Regulating Steric Hindrance of Porous Organic Polymers in Composite Solid-State Electrolytes to Induce the Formation of LiF-Rich SEI in Li-Ion Batteries

Lithium fluoride (LiF) at the solid electrolyte interface (SEI) contributes to the stable operation of polymer-based solid-state lithium metal batteries. Currently, most of the methods for constructing lithium fluoride SEI are based on the design of polar groups of fillers. However, the mechanism behind how steric hindrance of fillers impacts LiF formation remains unclear. This study synthesizes three kinds of porous polyacetal amides (PAN-X, X=NH₂, NH-CH₃, N-(CH₃)₂) with varying steric hindrances by regulating the number of methyl substitutions of nitrogen atoms on the reaction monomer, which are incorporated into polymer composite solid electrolytes, to investigate the regulation mechanism of steric hindrance on the content of lithium fluoride in SEI. The results show that bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (TFSI⁻) will compete for the charge without steric effect, while excessive steric hindrance hinders the interaction between TFSI⁻ and polar groups, reducing charge acquisition. Only when one hydrogen atom on the amino group is replaced by a methyl group, steric hindrance from the methyl group prevents TFSI⁻ from capturing charge in that direction, thereby facilitating the transfer of charge from the polar group to a separate TFSI⁻ and promoting maximum LiF formation. This work provides a novel perspective on constructing LiF-rich SEI.