Enhancing the charging performance of lithium-ion batteries by reducing SEI and charge transfer resistances

To enable the mass adoption of electric vehicles, the charging performance of Li-ion batteries needs to be significantly enhanced. The development of novel electrolytes with enhanced transport properties and faster interfacial reaction is one critical approach to realize fast charging within 10 minutes. Most current electrolyte studies are focusing on ester-based electrolytes. In this work, an ether-based electrolyte is reported, which shows remarkably better-charging performance than commercial carbonate electrolytes and other reported ester-based electrolytes in both half and full cells. Electrochemical and spectroscopic characterization shows the superior charging performance of the reported electrolyte is due to significantly reduced SEI resistance and charge transfer resistance. Cycling tests show remarkable stability in Li||graphite(gr) half cells, suggesting the potential of the electrolytes to enhance battery charging performance. LiFePO4 (LFP) ||gr full cells were further tested, and it is found that the resistance of cells builds up during cycling due to gelation of the electrolyte, which limits the cycling performance of full cells. Potential strategies to address this limitation are discussed.