Energy Storage Science and Technology ›› 2024, Vol. 13 ›› Issue (7): 2192-2205.doi: 10.19799/j.cnki.2095-4239.2024.0559

• Special Issue on Low Temperature Batteries • Previous Articles     Next Articles

A review of electrolyte reducing lithium plating in low-temperature lithium-ion batteries

Zeheng LI1,2(), Lei XU3, Yuxing YAO1, Chong YAN3, Ximin ZHAI4, Xuechun HAO4, Aibing CHEN5, Jiaqi HUANG3, Xiaofei BIE4, Huanli SUN4, Lizhen FAN6, Qiang ZHANG1,7,8()   

  1. 1.Tsinghua Center for Green Chemical Engineering Electrification, Beijing Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Reaction Engineering and Technology, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
    2.College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, China
    3.Advanced Research Institute of Multidisciplinary Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
    4.China FAW Group Co. , Ltd. , Changchun 130013, Jilin, China
    5.College of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang 050018, Hebei, China
    6.Institute of Advanced Materials and Technology, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
    7.Institute for Carbon Neutrality, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
    8.Shanxi Research Institute for Clean Energy, Tsinghua University, Taiyuan 030032, Shanxi, China
  • Received:2024-06-21 Revised:2024-07-01 Online:2024-07-28 Published:2024-07-23
  • Contact: Qiang ZHANG E-mail:zehengli@zju.edu.cn;zhang-qiang@mails.tsinghua.edu.cn

Abstract:

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are strongly considered the "heart" of portable electronic devices and electric vehicles, playing a vital role in advancing the de-fossil fuels for our sustainable world. However, during charging in low-temperature conditions (0℃ and below), the electrode polarization of LIBs increases, leading to significant Li plating. To address this issue, it is imperative to strategically design low-temperature electrolytes, that can reduce electrode polarization during low-temperature charging and establish a stable electrolyte-electrode interface. By doing so, it becomes feasible to effectively mitigate Li plating and its detrimental impacts on LIBs. In this review, we firstly introduce the formation mechanism of low-temperature lithium plating and emphasize that the implementation of low-temperature electrolyte to mitigating the low-temperature Li plating in working LIBs. Subsequently, we summarize various electrolyte design strategies aimed at mitigating the challenges posed by low-temperature Li plating. The strategies include weakly solvating electrolytes and solvent co-intercalation electrolytes to lower the desolvation energy barrier, localized high-concentration electrolytes for low-impedance SEI formation, and ester-based high-concentration electrolytes for passivating plated Li. Furthermore, we analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of these strategies. Lastly, drawing on existing research findings, we outline the future directions concerning the regulation of low-temperature Li plating behavior through electrolyte solutions. Emphasis is placed on the necessity of developing real-time early-warning methods for Li plating, evaluating the effectiveness of electrolytes in inhibiting low-temperature Li plating under practical conditions, and designing of low-temperature electrolytes tailored for silicon-carbon composite anodes that consider both electrochemical kinetics and interfacial stability. These approaches aim to simultaneously achieve high capacity and long lifespan of low-temperature LIBs.

Key words: Li plating, low temperature, electrolyte, lithium-ion batteries, electrode polarization

CLC Number: