Issue 5, 2014

Nitrile-assistant eutectic electrolytes for cryogenic operation of lithium ion batteries at fast charges and discharges

Abstract

The charge/discharge characteristics of lithium ion batteries at low temperature (LT = −20 °C) are enhanced by using ethylene carbonate (EC)-based electrolytes with the help of assistant solvents of nitriles. Conventional liquid electrolytes (e.g. a mixture of EC and dimethyl carbonate (DMC), abbreviated as LED) cannot support a satisfactory capacity at low temperature as well as at high rates even if electric vehicles require low-temperature operation. Introducing propionitrile or butyronitrile (Pn or Bn) into LED (resulting in LEDPn or LEDBn) as a co-solvent increases significantly the high-rate capacities at −20 °C. For example, LEDPn delivers 62% of the available capacity at 1 C and 46% at 3 C with a 2.7 V cut-off while the control LED provides just 6% and 4% at the same rates. Successful operation at −20 °C with nitrile-assistant electrolytes results from high ionic conductivity, low viscosity and freezing point depression caused by the eutectic behavior of the carbonates (EC/DMC) and Pn. Based on the phase diagram of Pn with EC/DMC, we expect a meaningful battery operation up to −110 °C, probably lower, at the eutectic composition.

Graphical abstract: Nitrile-assistant eutectic electrolytes for cryogenic operation of lithium ion batteries at fast charges and discharges

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
09 Sep 2013
Accepted
30 Jan 2014
First published
30 Jan 2014
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Energy Environ. Sci., 2014,7, 1737-1743

Nitrile-assistant eutectic electrolytes for cryogenic operation of lithium ion batteries at fast charges and discharges

Y. Cho, Y. Kim, D. Sung, M. Seo and H. Song, Energy Environ. Sci., 2014, 7, 1737 DOI: 10.1039/C3EE43029D

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