Regulation of Molecular Microheterogeneity in Electrolytes Enables Ampere-Hour-Level Aqueous LiMn 2 O 4 ||Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 Pouch Cells

• Published in: Advanced materials (Weinheim) 2024-10, Vol.36 (40), p.e2405913
• Main Authors: Zhang, Canfu, Chen, Binbin, Chen, Qinlong, Liu, Yingchun, Kong, Xueqian, Suo, Liumin, Lu, Jun, Pan, Huilin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1521-4095

Aqueous batteries are attractive due to their high safety and fast reaction kinetics, but the narrow electrochemical stability window of H O limits their applications. It is a big challenge to broaden the electrochemical operation window of aqueous electrolytes while retaining fast reaction kinetics. Here, a new organic aqueous mixture electrolyte of manipulatable (3D) molecular microheterogeneity with H O-rich and H O-poor domains is demonstrated. H O-poor domains molecularly surround the reformed microclusters of H O molecules through interfacial H-bonds, which thus not only inhibit the long-range transfer of H O but also allow fast and consecutive Li transport. This new design enables low-voltage anodes reversibly cycling with aqueous-based electrolytes and high ionic conductivity of 4.5 mS cm . LiMn O ||Li Ti O full cells demonstrate excellent cycling stability over 1000 cycles under various C rates and a low temperature of -20 °C. 1 Ah pouch cell delivers a high energy density of 79.3 Wh kg and high Coulombic efficiency of 99.4% at 1 C over 200 cycles. This work provides new insights into the design of electrolytes based on the molecular microheterogeneity for rechargeable batteries.