Li
metal thickness has been considered a key factor in determining
the electrochemical performance of Li metal anodes. The use of thin
Li metal anodes is a prerequisite for increasing the energy density
of Li secondary batteries intended for emerging large-scale electrical
applications, such as electric vehicles and energy storage systems.
To utilize thin (20 μm thick) Li metal anodes in Li metal secondary
batteries, we investigated the synergistic effect of a functional
additive (Li nitrate, LiNO3) and a dual-salt electrolyte
(DSE) system composed of Li bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) and
Li bis(oxalate)borate (LiBOB). By controlling the amount of LiNO3 in DSE, we found that DSE containing 0.05 M LiNO3 (DSE–0.05 M LiNO3) significantly improved the
electrochemical performance of Li metal anodes. DSE–0.05 M
LiNO3 increased the cycling performance by 146.3% [under
the conditions of a 1C rate (2.0 mA cm–2), DSE alone
maintained 80% of the initial discharge capacity up to the 205th cycle,
whereas DSE–0.05 M LiNO3 maintained 80% up to the
300th cycle] and increased the rate capability by 128.2% compared
with DSE alone [the rate capability of DSE–0.05 M LiNO3 = 50.4 mAh g–1, and DSE = 39.3 mAh g–1 under 7C rate conditions (14.0 mA cm–2)]. After analyzing the Li metal surface using scanning electron
microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, we were able to infer
that the stabilized solid electrolyte interphase layer formed by the
combination of LiNO3 and the dual salt resulted in a uniform
Li deposition during repeated Li plating/stripping processes.
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