Decoupling effective Li+ ion conductivity from electrolyte viscosity for improved room-temperature cell performance

Ionic liquids are attractive materials for alternative electrolytes to combat the safety issues associated with conventional organic carbonate-based electrolytes. However, the performance of ionic liquid-based cells is generally not competitive as the high viscosity and low conductivity limits the rate performance. The work presented here demonstrates that the drawbacks in terms of rate capability can be overcome through the use of the high lithium concentration Pyr(1201)FTFSI(0.6)LiFTFSI(0.4) electrolyte. Despite an order of magnitude difference in the conductivity and viscosity, this high concentration electrolyte outperforms the lithium-dilute electrolyte with the same components in terms of rate capability in Li metal/LFP cells and LTO/LFP cells. The results suggest that the effective Li ion transport in the concentrated electrolyte is higher than in the dilute solution. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.