Paul Rudnicki
Ph.D. Student in Chemical Engineering, admitted Autumn 2017
All Publications
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Suspension electrolyte with modified Li+ solvation environment for lithium metal batteries.
Nature materials
1800
Abstract
Designing a stable solid-electrolyte interphase on a Li anode is imperative to developing reliable Li metal batteries. Herein, we report a suspension electrolyte design that modifies the Li+ solvation environment in liquid electrolytes and creates inorganic-rich solid-electrolyte interphases on Li. Li2O nanoparticles suspended in liquid electrolytes were investigated as a proof of concept. Through theoretical and empirical analyses of Li2O suspension electrolytes, the roles played by Li2O in the liquid electrolyte and solid-electrolyte interphases of the Li anode are elucidated. Also, the suspension electrolyte design is applied in conventional and state-of-the-art high-performance electrolytes to demonstrate its applicability. Based on electrochemical analyses, improved Coulombic efficiency (up to ~99.7%), reduced Li nucleation overpotential, stabilized Li interphases and prolonged cycle life of anode-free cells (~70 cycles at 80% of initial capacity) were achieved with the suspension electrolytes. We expect this design principle and our findings to be expanded into developing electrolytes and solid-electrolyte interphases for Li metal batteries.
View details for DOI 10.1038/s41563-021-01172-3
View details for PubMedID 35039645
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Rational solvent molecule tuning for high-performance lithium metal battery electrolytes
NATURE ENERGY
2022
View details for DOI 10.1038/s41560-021-00962-y
View details for Web of Science ID 000742253900001
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Steric Effect Tuned Ion Solvation Enabling Stable Cycling of High-Voltage Lithium Metal Battery.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
2021
Abstract
1,2-Dimethoxyethane (DME) is a common electrolyte solvent for lithium metal batteries. Various DME-based electrolyte designs have improved long-term cyclability of high-voltage full cells. However, insufficient Coulombic efficiency at the Li anode and poor high-voltage stability remain a challenge for DME electrolytes. Here, we report a molecular design principle that utilizes a steric hindrance effect to tune the solvation structures of Li+ ions. We hypothesized that by substituting the methoxy groups on DME with larger-sized ethoxy groups, the resulting 1,2-diethoxyethane (DEE) should have a weaker solvation ability and consequently more anion-rich inner solvation shells, both of which enhance interfacial stability at the cathode and anode. Experimental and computational evidence indicates such steric-effect-based design leads to an appreciable improvement in electrochemical stability of lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiFSI)/DEE electrolytes. Under stringent full-cell conditions of 4.8 mAh cm-2 NMC811, 50 mum thin Li, and high cutoff voltage at 4.4 V, 4 M LiFSI/DEE enabled 182 cycles until 80% capacity retention while 4 M LiFSI/DME only achieved 94 cycles. This work points out a promising path toward the molecular design of non-fluorinated ether-based electrolyte solvents for practical high-voltage Li metal batteries.
View details for DOI 10.1021/jacs.1c09006
View details for PubMedID 34709034
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Dendrite Suppression by a Polymer Coating: A Coarse-Grained Molecular Study
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
2020
View details for DOI 10.1002/adfm.201910138
View details for Web of Science ID 000513653700001
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Transient Voltammetry with Ultramicroelectrodes Reveals the Electron Transfer Kinetics of Lithium Metal Anodes
Adv. Energy Lett.
2020; 5: 701-709
View details for DOI 10.1021/acsenergylett.0c00031
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Impact of Liquid-Crystalline Chain Alignment on Charge Transport in Conducting Polymers
MACROMOLECULES
2019; 52 (22): 8932–39
View details for DOI 10.1021/acs.macromol.9b01729
View details for Web of Science ID 000500039300040