Recently, Professor Yong Zhao's research group has made new progress in the field of lithium oxygen batteries. The related achievements are entitled "A Liquid/Liquid Electrolyte Interface that Inhibits Corrosion and Dendrite Growth of Lithium in Lithium-Metal Batteries" in the form of full text in the international top level Journal of Angewandte Chemie International Edition (Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2020, 59, 6397-6405, IF = 12.257).            

Lithium metal anode has attracted worldwide attention because of its ten times higher theoretical capacity and the most negative chemical potential than traditional graphite anode. During cycling, the thermodynamic instability of high activity lithium metal for most electrolyte components (solvent, polysulfide, additives, etc.) leads to serious side reactions and uncontrollable dendrite growth, resulting in low coulomb efficiency and cycle stability of lithium metal batteries. How to avoid the contact between electrolyte components and lithium electrode and inhibit the side reaction of lithium and uncontrollable dendrite growth in lithium metal batteries is a challenge in the field of lithium metal batteries (Chem. Soc. Rev., 2018, 47, 2921).

Figure (a): Corrosion and dendrite growth of lithium electrode in traditional electrolyte system; (b) Two phase electrolyte system at liquid/liquid interface inhibits corrosion and dendrite growth of lithium electrode and enhances stability of lithium electrode.

In this research work, Yong Zhao proposed a conceptual study of "liquid/liquid two-phase electrolyte interface inhibiting lithium corrosion and dendrite growth in lithium metal batteries" with the help of polarity difference between organic solvents. A liquid/liquid interface two-phase electrolyte system was constructed by using weak polar fluorosilane and strong polar dimethyl sulfoxide. The ability of two-phase electrolyte interface to improve the reversible life of lithium metal anode and the cycle stability of lithium metal battery was systematically studied. The feasibility of inhibiting lithium corrosion and dendrite growth in lithium metal battery by two-phase electrolyte system with liquid/liquid interface was confirmed. The research work not only provides a new technical means for the corrosion and dendrite problems of metal lithium anode in lithium metal battery, but also provides a new idea for the protection methods of other alkali metal battery anode (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2020, 59, 6397-6405).

Xiaofeng He, a master of the Key Laboratory of Special Functional Materials, is the first author of the paper, and Dr. Yong Zhao and Dr. Xiaosheng Song are the corresponding authors. This work is supported by the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the science and Technology Department of Henan Province, the Education Department of Henan Province and Henan University.

Paper links: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/anie.201914532