Topic: Electrolytes and Interlayers for Next-Generation Batteries

Electrolytes and their interfacial layers with electrodes play a key role in modern electrochemical storage devices such as lithium-ion batteries, enabling the transport of electroactive ionic species to the electrodes while limiting side reactions and thereby enabling high energy density and long lifetime.

As research progresses and new battery concepts are being developed to further improve the cost, environmental and electrochemical performances of next generation batteries, electrolytes and interlayers are likely to play an even greater role in enabling new battery chemistries. Indeed, the challenges are becoming harder with either non selective or too low electrode reactivity, low electrolyte/electrode compatibility (be it mechanical or chemical), generation of soluble products, inhomogeneous metal plating, etc.

While electrolytes ensure the ionic transport between batteries electrodes and within their porosity, interfacial layers, either spontaneously formed upon contact with the electrolyte or upon cycling [i.e., Solid Electrolyte Interphase (SEI) or Cathode Electrolyte Interphase (CEI)] or voluntarily designed for improving the compatibility of the electrolyte (s) and the electrodes, are key for enabling fast charge transfer and/or ionic transport to the electrodes materials while blocking unwanted parasitic reactions. In many cases, both electrolytes and interlayers can participate in maintaining electrode physical integrity, fulfilling a mechanical confinement function as well.

Thus, this Special Issue of Energy Materials focuses not only on electrolyte development (liquid, semi-solid, solid-state) but also on the engineering of interfaces, interphases and interlayers to extend the operational range of next generation batteries.

20 Apr 2023