Designing ionic liquid electrolytes for a rigid and Li+-conductive solid electrolyte interface in high performance lithium metal batteries

Lithium metal batteries (LMBs) demonstrate significant potential as high-energy-density storage devices. However, their practical application is hindered by challenges such as lithium dendrite formation, flammability , and the limited operating temperature range of commercial carbonate electrolytes. To address the issue, we developed a localized highly concentrated electrolyte (LHCE) using an ionic liquid as the solvent. The LHCE exhibits non-flammability, a wide operating temperature range (−30 to 70 °C), and forms a rigid, highly ion-conductive solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), which significantly enhances the cycling stability of LMBs.