Designing mesostructured iron (II) fluorides with a stable in situ polymer electrolyte interface for high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries

Abstract

As high-energy cathode materials, conversion-type metal fluorides provide a prospective pathway for developing next-generation lithium-ion batteries. However, they suffer from severe performance decay owing to continuous structural destruction and active material dissolution upon cycling, which worsen at elevated temperatures. Here, we design a novel FeF₂ cathode with in situ polymerized solid-state electrolyte systems to enhance the cycling ability of metal fluorides at 60 ​°C. Novel FeF₂ with a mesoporous structure (meso-FeF₂) improves Li⁺ diffusion and relieves the volume change that typically occurs during the alternating conversion reactions. The structural stability of the meso-FeF₂ cathode is strengthened by an in situ polymerized solid-state electrolyte, which prevents the pulverization and ion dissolution that are inevitable for conventional liquid electrolytes. Under the double action of this in situ polymerized solid-state electrolyte and the meso-FeF₂'s mesoporous structure, the active material maintains an intact SEI layer and part of the mesoporous structure after long charge–discharge cycling, showing excellent cycling stability at high temperatures.