Electrolytes with the salt lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiFSI) have been evaluated relative to comparable electrolytes with other lithium salts. Acetonitrile (AN) has been used as a model electrolyte solvent due to the simplicity of its solvation interactions (the AN molecule has only a single electron lone-pair for Li + cation coordination). The information obtained from the thermal phase behavior, solvation/ionic association interactions, quantum chemical (QC) calculations and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations (with an APPLE&P many-body polarizable force field for the LiFSI salt) of the (AN) n -LiFSI mixtures provides detailed insight into the coordination interactions of the FSI − anions and the wide variability noted in the electrolyte transport properties (i.e., viscosity and ionic conductivity). was first reported in a patent application in 1995 which indicated a method for its synthesis.1 Its use in research studies, however, has been restricted until quite recently due to the limited availability and high cost of this salt. A limited number of publications have been reported about the use of the FSI − anion for electrolytes in recent years, 2-55 but many of these have focused on FSI − -based ionic liquids instead of the LiFSI salt. Recent papers, however, indicate that battery electrolytes with LiFSI have very promising properties-i.e., a relatively high thermal and hydrolytic stability (relative to LiPF 6 ), a high conductivity (comparable to electrolytes with LiPF 6 ) and a wide liquidus range.
2-18One key concern originated from reports which indicated that the use of the LiFSI salt in electrolytes results in severe corrosion of the battery Al current collector at high potentials. 3,15 It has recently been demonstrated, however, that this was likely due to chloride impurities in the salt (from the synthesis procedures) rather than the LiFSI salt itself.
12To fully capitalize upon the use of LiFSI as an alternative lithium salt for advanced lithium batteries, it is necessary to understand the behavior of this salt in bulk electrolyte solutions. The preceding work in this series of publications has scrutinized the relationship between the solution structure and transport properties of electrolytes in detail.
56-59The present study extends this focus to acetonitrile-based (AN) n -LiFSI electrolytes to better understand the characteristics of this relatively * Electrochemical Society Student Member.* * Electrochemical Society Active Member. z E-mail: Wesley.Henderson@pnnl.gov; oleg.a.borodin.civ@mail.mil new electrolyte salt. Of particular interest are the recent reports which noted that highly concentrated (AN) n -LiTFSI and -FSI electrolytes have a high electrochemical stability to reduction at negative potentials (in sharp contrast to more dilute solutions with nitrile solvents) which allows for the rapid and reversible charging/discharging of graphitic electrodes.
5,60
ExperimentalMaterials.-Anhydrous AN (Sigma-Aldrich, 99.8%) and LiFSI (Suzhou Fluolyte Co., Ltd., >99.5%) were used as-received....