Molecular Engineering Enabled Stable Deep Eutectic Amide-Based Electrolyte for High-Temperature Lithium-Metal Batteries

The development of advanced lithium-metal batteries (LMBs), such as high-temperature LMBs and high-energy-density LMBs, has critical requirements for electrolytes. However, conventional electrolytes suffer from thermal instability and insufficient electrolyte/Li interfacial compatibility, severely limiting their utilization in high-temperature LMBs. Herein, we design a high-temperature N-methylacetamide (NMAc)-based deep eutectic electrolyte (DEE) by molecular engineering on a solvation structure via a sacrificial additive of vinyl ethylene carbonate (VEC). Specifically, VEC interacts with the Li prior to NMAc, facilitating the formation of a solid electrolyte interphase to inhibit the reaction between Li and NMAc. The stable VEC-DEE effectively suppresses the growth of lithium dendrites and ensures the battery a cycling stability of 550 cycles at 80 °C. Additionally, we also demonstrate the application of VEC-DEE in high-energy-density LMBs with a high mass loading of 2.5 mAh/cm². This research opens a new avenue for the rational design of advanced high-temperature electrolytes. © 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.