1,3-Dioxolane: A Strategy to Improve Electrode Interfaces in Lithium Ion and Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Batteries with increased specific energy will play a crucial role in future electrical energy. Indeed, high specific energy means increased driving ranges in electric vehicles and can also improve the efficient use of the renewable energy. Lithium batteries, including lithium ion batteries (LIBs), with a high specific energy can be achieved with the use of high-potential and/or high specific capacity cathodes. We exploit the ability of 1,3-dioxolane (DOL) to polymerize at voltages higher than 4 V to produce a protective polymer layer in situ on two different cathodes. Specifically, DOL was polymerized on high-voltage LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4, (LNMO) and on high-capacity sulfur electrodes in order to reduce the electrode/electrolyte interface reactivity of these cathode materials and to improve cycling performance.