(577e) Molecular-Level Characterization of the Electrode-Electrolyte Interfaces in Li Batteries

Most next generation Li battery materials suffer from severe interfacial instabilities. Here, we leverage our unique abilities in solid-state NMR and MRI to characterize, at the molecular-level, the composition, arrangement, and dynamics of the solid electrolyte interphases that form on the surface of emerging anode and cathode technologies for Li batteries. We find that interphase stability (e.g. solubility) and composition (e.g. high conductivity compounds) are paramount to controlling high Coulombic efficiencies and achieving high capacity retentions for a range of electrolyte formulations and cell configurations. Insight from this work provides some of the first atomistic descriptors of electrode-electrolyte interfacial reactions that enable safe and efficient battery operation.