Aug 10 2021

The research group of Professor UMEBAYASHI Yasuhiro of the Graduate School of Science and Technology, Niigata University, Assistant Professor WATANABE Hikari of the Faculty of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science (during the research was enrolled in the doctoral program at the Graduate School of Science and Technology, Niigata University), Professor FUJII Kenta of the Graduate School of Sciences and Technology for Innovation, Yamaguchi University and Professor OTOMO Toshiya of the Institute of Materials Structure Science, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization succeeded in determining the liquid structure of a concentrated lithium salt aqueous solution at the molecular level in collaboration with the research groups of Yamagata University and Yokohama National University. This aqueous solution has approximately three times as much lithium salt dissolved as in the electrolytic solution used in current lithium-ion batteries and is expected to be a new lithium-ion battery (LIB) electrolyte. An electrolytic solution that uses water as a solvent instead of the organic solvent used in conventional LIBs will lead to realizing inexpensive and very safe LIBs. This achievement has moved one step further in developing lithium-ion secondary batteries (aqueous lithium-ion batteries) using aqueous solutions.

Research Results

• Forming a film that suppresses the water decomposition is essential for the practical use of aqueous lithium-ion batteries
• The liquid structure of the electrolyte holds the key to good film formation
• Elucidated the liquid structure of concentrated lithium salt aqueous solution at the molecular level
• We are moving closer toward the practical application of aqueous lithium-ion batteries

Publication Details

Journal:?Journal of Physical Chemistry B
Title: Local Structure of Li⁺?in Superconcentrated Aqueous LiTFSA Solutions
Authors: Hikari Watanabe, Nana Arai, Erika Nozaki, Jihae Han, Kenta Fujii, Kazutaka Ikeda, Toshiya Otomo, Kazuhide Ueno, Kaoru Dokko, Masayoshi Watanabe, Yasuo Kameda, and Yasuhiro Umebayashi
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c04693