Recently, Associate Professor Deng Tao's research team, hailing from the China-UK Low Carbon College at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and affiliated with the State Key Laboratory of Green Papermaking and Resource Recycling, has achieved notable advancements in the design of electrolytes for high-voltage lithium batteries. Their latest study, entitled "Tuning interfacial solvent orientation for high-voltage Lithium-ion batteries," has been featured in Chem, a prestigious journal under the Cell Press umbrella, renowned in the field of chemistry.

The research introduces an innovative approach termed "additive-mediated solvent orientation tuning." This method leverages a specially designed additive, pentafluorophenyl trifluoromethanesulfonate (PFBS), to effectively stabilize the cathode electrolyte interface under high-voltage conditions. Experimental data reveals that Gr//LCO coin cells, incorporating 1% PFBS, along with 1.5 Ah pouch cells, retain 80% of their capacity after more than 520 and 640 cycles, respectively, at a cutoff voltage of 4.55 V. Furthermore, these cells exhibit markedly enhanced performance at elevated temperatures (45°C) when compared to those using a standard electrolyte.

This groundbreaking work not only offers a practical technical solution for the development of high-voltage LCO batteries but also sets a new benchmark in electrolyte design. It shifts the focus from merely adjusting molecular orientation to achieving comprehensive interface stabilization, paving the way for future innovations in the field.