We found that lithium (fluorosulfonyl)(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide (Li[fTfN]) possesses a significantly low melting point (100 ºC) among the lithium salts due to asymmetric structure of fTfN anion.[2] This melt allows stable charge-discharge of composite LiCoO2 or LiFePO4 positive electrode[3] and graphite negative electrode,[4] in half-cell. The Li[fTfN] can be used as a single lithium molten salt electrolyte without any organic solvents or RTILs. A cation mixture of the Li[fTfN] and its corresponding cesium salt (Li0.4Cs0.6[fTfN]) shows another interesting phenomena.[5] The Li0.4Cs0.6[fTfN] has 102~103 times higher viscosity, and 10–2~10–3 times lower specific conductivity than the organic electrolyte. However, its rate performance in LiFePO4composite electrode was equal to those of the organic electrolyte.
In this study, we investigated charge-transfer resistance with these composite electrode and lithium metal in the Li[fTfN] and Li0.4Cs0.6[fTfN] by electrochemical methods, such as ac impedance, in order to discuss about factors of the stable charge-discharge without solvents and specific rate performance against its electrolyte property. Based on the single Li[fTfN] melt, we prepared the cation mixture added the other alkali metal fTfN salts, the RTIL electrolyte added the organic cation and the organic electrolyte solvated in the organic solvent. They will be compared for the physicochemical properties of electrolyte itself, the charge-transfer resistance with each electrode, and charge-discharge property.
References
[1] P. Masset and R. A. Guidotti, J. Power Sources, 164, 397 (2007).
[2] H. Matsumoto, N. Terasawa, T. Umecky, S. Tsuzuki, H. Sakaebe, H. K. Asaka, K. Tatsumi, Chem. Lett., 37, 1020 (2008).
[3] K. Kubota and H. Matsumoto, J. Phys. Chem. C, 117, 18829 (2013).
[4] K. Kubota and H. Matsumoto, ECS Trans., 61, 231 (2014).
[5] K. Kubota and H. Matsumoto, J. Electrochem. Soc., 161, A902 (2014).
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the Advanced Low Carbon Technology Research and Development Program (ALCA-SPRING) of Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and Grant in Aid for scientific Research from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).