New class of nonaqueous electrolytes for long-life and safe lithium-ion batteries

Long-life and safe lithium-ion batteries have been long pursued to enable electrification of the transportation system and for grid applications. However, the poor safety characteristics of lithium-ion batteries have been the major bottleneck for the widespread deployment of this promising technology. Here, we report a novel nonaqueous Li 2 B 12 F 12-x H x electrolyte, using lithium difluoro(oxalato)borate as an electrolyte additive, that has superior performance to the conventional LiPF 6 -based electrolyte with regard to cycle life and safety, including tolerance to both overcharge and thermal abuse. Cells tested with the Li 2 B 12 F 9 H 3 -based electrolyte maintained about 70% initial capacity when cycled at 55C for 1,200 cycles, and the intrinsic overcharge protection mechanism was active up to 450 overcharge abuse cycles. Results from in situ high-energy X-ray diffraction showed that the thermal decomposition of the delithiated Li 1-x [Ni 1/3 Mn 1/3 Co 1/3 ] 0.9 O 2 cathode was delayed by about 20C when using the Li 2 B 12 F 12 -based electrolyte. © 2013 Macmillan Publishers Limited.