Constructing a 4 Volt Aqueous Lithium Ion Battery Using Acrylate-Based Gel Electrolytes

Abstract

Highly concentrated solutions of lithium salts in water have made sweeping strides from the time in the early 2010s where aqueous electrolytes could operate a battery within an electrochemical window no more than 1.5V wide. In this presentation, we discuss the construction of a lithium ion battery using graphite as the anode and LiCoO2 as the cathode to make a cell with a 4.2V potential. The primary electrolyte is a water:trimethylphosphate hybrid with a water mole fraction of 0.44 and LiTFSI salt at a concentration of 9 molal. This aqueous hybrid electrolyte can be formed into a gel electrolyte by directly polymerizing acrylate-based monomers and crosslinkers dissolved in the electrolyte. We demonstrate that by protecting the graphite anode using an acrylate gel with a fluoroethylene carbonate-based liquid electrolyte, the battery cell can be cycled repeatedly between 3.0V and 4.2V just like a cell using organic carbonate electrolytes. The advantage of the aqueous hybrid electrolyte is that it is non-flammable, and a cell using aqueous gel electrolytes can withstand damage and even be cut open while operating with no risk of fire or explosion. The manufacturing and performance characteristics of the aqueous 4V battery will be discussed as well as the interfacial issues that come about with the use of aqueous gel electrolytes in a 4V-capable battery system.