Dramatic growth of lithium dendrite, structural deterioration of LiCoO2 (LCO) cathode at high voltages, and unstable electrode/electrolyte interfaces pose significant obstacles to the practical application of high-energy-density LCO||Li batteries. In this work, a novel eutectogel electrolyte is developed by confining the nonflammable eutectic electrolyte in a polymer matrix. The eutectogel electrolyte can construct a robust solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) with inorganic-rich LiF and Li3N, contributing to a uniform Li deposition. Besides, the severe interface side reactions between LCO cathode and electrolyte can be retarded with an in situ formed protective layer. Correspondingly, Li||Li symmetrical cells achieve highly reversible Li plating/stripping over 1000 h. The LCO||Li full cell can maintain 72.5% capacity after 1500 cycles with a decay rate of only 0.018% per cycle at a high charging voltage of 4.45 V. Moreover, the well-designed eutectogel electrolyte can even enable the stable operation of LCO at an extremely high cutoff voltage of 4.6 V. This work introduces a promising avenue for the advancement of eutectogel electrolytes, the nonflammable nature and well-regulated interphase significantly push forward the future application of lithium metal batteries and high-voltage utilization of LCO cathode.
Keywords: LCO cathode; eutectogel electrolyte; high voltage; lithium metal batteries; structure/interface stability.
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