Trace Dual-Salt Electrolyte Additive Enabling a LiF-Rich Solid Electrolyte Interphase for High-Performance Lithium Metal Batteries

The composition and physiochemical properties of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) significantly impact the electrochemical cyclability of the Li metal. Here, we introduce a trace dual-salt electrolyte additive (TDEA) that accelerates LiF production from FEC decomposition and improves the LiF distribution, resulting in earlier LiF precipitation and the formation of a LiF-rich SEI on the Li anode. TDEA at a millimolar-level concentration was found to alter the morphology of deposited Li, suppress Li dendrite formation, and increase the cycling time and operating current density for Li anodes. Li∥NCM811 full cells using TDEA-based electrolytes exhibited approximately two times longer lifespan than those without additives. Additionally, the TDEA-based electrolytes enabled a high energy density of 347 Wh kg–1 for 500-mAh pouch cells, maintaining stable cycling over 180 cycles under stringent conditions (N/P = 1.26 and E/C = 2.2 g A h–1). Our findings suggest that the proposed TDEA strategy offers a promising path to achieving high-performance Li metal batteries.