Coordination-Dependent Chemical Reactivity of TFSI Anions at a Mg Metal Interface

Charge transfer across the electrode-electrolyte interface is a highly complex and convoluted process involving diverse solvated species with varying structures and compositions. Despite recent advances in in situ and operando interfacial analysis, molecular specific reactivity of solvated species is inaccessible due to a lack of precise control over the interfacial constituents and/or an unclear understanding of their spectroscopic fingerprints. However, such molecular-specific understanding is critical to the rational design of energy-efficient solid-electrolyte interphase layers. We have employed ion soft landing, a versatile and highly controlled method, to prepare well-defined interfaces assembled with selected ions, either as solvated species or as bare ions, with distinguishing molecular precision. Equipped with precise control over interfacial composition, we employed in situ multimodal spectroscopic characterization to unravel the molecular specific reactivity of Mg solvated species comprising (i.e., bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, TFSI^-) anions and solvent molecules (i.e., dimethoxyethane, DME/G1) on a Mg metal surface relevant to multivalent Mg batteries. In situ multimodal spectroscopic characterization revealed higher reactivity of the undercoordinated solvated species [Mg-TFSI-G1]⁺ compared to the fully coordinated [Mg-TFSI-(G1)₂]⁺ species or even the bare TFSI^-. These results were corroborated by the computed reaction pathways and energy barriers for decomposition of the TFSI^- within Mg solvated species relative to bare TFSI^-. Finally, we evaluated the TFSI reactivity under electrochemical conditions using Mg(TFSI)₂-DME-based phase-separated electrolytes representing different solvated constituents. Based on our multimodal study, we report a detailed understanding of TFSI^- decomposition processes as part of coordinated solvated species at a Mg-metal anode that will aid the rational design of improved sustainable electrochemical energy technologies.

Spectral deconvolution in electrophoretic NMR to investigate the migration of neutral molecules in electrolytes

Electrophoretic nuclear magnetic resonance (eNMR) is a powerful tool in studies of nonaqueous electrolytes, such as ionic liquids. It delivers electrophoretic mobilities of the ionic constituents and thus sheds light on ion correlations. In applications of liquid electrolytes, uncharged additives are often employed, detectable via ¹ H NMR. Characterizing their mobility and coordination to charged entities is desirable; however, it is often hampered by small intensities and ¹ H signals overlapping with major constituents of the electrolyte. In this work, we evaluate methods of phase analysis of overlapping resonances to yield electrophoretic mobilities even for minor constituents. We use phase-sensitive spectral deconvolution via a set of Lorentz distributions for the investigation of the migration behavior of additives in two different ionic liquid-based lithium salt electrolytes. For vinylene carbonate as an additive, no field-induced drift is observed; thus, its coordination to the Li⁺ ion does not induce a correlated drift with Li⁺ . On the other hand, in a solvate ionic liquid with tetraglyme (G4) as an additive, a correlated migration of tetraglyme with lithium as a complex solvate cation is directly proven by eNMR. The phase evaluation procedure of superimposed resonances thus broadens the applicability of eNMR to application-relevant complex electrolyte mixtures containing neutral additives with superimposed resonances.

Influence of Polar Organic Solvents in an Ionic Liquid Containing Lithium Bis(fluorosulfonyl)amide: Effect on the Cation-Anion Interaction, Lithium Ion Battery Performance, and Solid Electrolyte Interphase

Ionic liquid-organic solvent mixtures have recently been investigated as potential battery electrolytes. However, contradictory results with these mixtures have been shown for battery performance. In this manuscript, we studied the influence of the addition of polar organic solvents into the ionic liquid electrolyte 1 M lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)amide (LiFSI)-1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(fluorosulfonyl)amide ([Py_1,4]FSI) and tested it for lithium ion battery applications. From infrared and Raman spectroscopy, clear changes in the lithium solvation and cation-anion interactions in the ionic liquid were observed on addition of organic solvents. From the lithiation/delithiation studies on electrodeposited Ge, the storage capacity for the ionic liquid-highly polar organic solvent (acetonitrile) mixture was found to be the highest at low C-rates (0.425 C) compared to using an ionic liquid alone and ionic liquid-less polar solvent (dimethyl carbonate) mixtures. Furthermore, XPS and AFM were used to evaluate the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and to correlate its stability with Li storage capacity.