A lithium salt additive Li2ZrF6 for enhancing the electrochemical performance of high-voltage LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 cathode

In this work, Li2ZrF6, a lithium salt additive, is reported to improve the interface stability of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 (LNMO)/electrolyte interface under high voltage (4.9 V vs Li/Li+). Li2ZrF6 is an effective additive to serve as an in situ surface coating material for high-voltage LNMO half cells. A protective SEI layer is formed on the electrode surface due to the involvement of Li2ZrF6 during the formation of SEI layer. Charge/discharge tests show that 0.15 mol L-1 Li2ZrF6 is the optimal concentration for the LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 electrode and it can improve the cycling performance and rate property of LNMO/Li half cells. The results obtained by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) demonstrate that Li2ZrF6 can facilitate the formation of a thin, uniform, and stable solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer. This layer inhibits the oxidation decomposition of the electrolyte and suppresses the dissolution of the cathode materials, resulting in improved electrochemical performances.