New functionality of electrode materials with highly concentrated electrolytes
Yosuke Ugata, Naoaki Yabuuchi
Abstract
The use of Li-excess metal oxides as positive electrodes coupled with metallic Li-negative electrodes is regarded as a promising route toward achieving higher energy density for Li-ion batteries. However, the reversibility and cycle life of these electrode materials in conventional carbonate-based electrolyte solutions containing lithium salts at about 1 mol dm −3 often are still not an acceptable level for practical applications. Recently, as an important trend for electrolyte design, highly concentrated electrolytes (HCEs) have received much attention owing to new and emerging functionality through their superior compatibility with these advanced electrode materials. These new functionalities of electrode materials coupled with the use of HCEs and their mechanistic insights are reviewed.