Ionic liquids are promising liquid electrolytes because
of their
wide potential window (high electrochemical stability) and high Li-ion
conductivity. However, high electrical resistance at the interface
between the electrolyte and electrode hinders their practical application
in Li-ion batteries. Here, we report the low interfacial resistance
between a solvated ionic liquid, tetraglyme-lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide
([LiG4][TFSA]), and positive electrode LiCoO2. We demonstrate
stable cycling in a battery using a Li3PO4 buffer
layer inserted at the interface of [LiG4][TFSA] and a positive electrode
LiCoO2(001). Without inserting the buffer layer, the interface
resistance drastically increases with repeated charge–discharge
cycles, originating from the formation of a solid-electrolyte interphase
(SEI) on the LiCoO2(001) surface; the interface resistance
was 2.0 × 104 Ω cm2 after the 10th
cycle. In contrast, the introduction of Li3PO4 significantly improves the charge and discharge cyclability, suppresses
SEI growth, and lowers the [LiG4][TFSA]–Li3PO4 interface resistance to 4.5 × 102 Ω
cm2. These results highlight the importance of modifying
the interface between the ionic liquid electrolyte and the positive
electrode to boost battery performance.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.