Fluorinated Aromatic Diluent for High-Performance Lithium Metal Batteries

In lithium metal batteries, electrolytes containing a high concentration of salts have demonstrated promising cyclability, but their practicality with respect to the cost of materials is yet to be proved. Here we report a fluorinated aromatic compound, namely 1,2-difluorobenzene, for use as a diluent solvent in the electrolyte to realize the “high-concentration effect”. The low energy level of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO), weak binding affinity for lithium ions, and high fluorine-donating power of 1,2-difluorobenzene jointly give rise to the high-concentration effect at a bulk salt concentration near 2 m, while modifying the composition of the solid-electrolyte-interphase (SEI) layer to be rich in lithium fluoride (LiF). The employment of triple salts to prevent corrosion of the aluminum current collector further improves cycling performance. This study offers a design principle for achieving a local high-concentration effect with reasonably low bulk concentrations of salts.