Lithiated Nanoparticles Doped with Ionic Liquids as Quasi-Solid Electrolytes for Lithium Batteries

This work reports two quasi-solid composite electrolytes based on LiFT (Lithiated Fluorinated Titania) nanopowder and either 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMImBF4) or 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (EMImTFSI) ionic liquid (IL). In details, LiFT nanopowder is doped with ca. 30 wt% of IL, giving rise to materials with formula LiFT/(EMImBF4)0.183 and LiFT/(EMImTFSI)0.087. The resulting composite electrolytes appear as powder-like solids as the IL is completely absorbed by LiFT. The correlation between structure, thermal properties and long-range charge migration processes of the here proposed electrolytes is investigated by several characterization techniques, as follows: i) differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and high-resolution thermogravimetry (HR-TGA); ii) Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy in both the medium and the far infrared (FT-MIR and FT-FIR); and iii) broadband electrical spectroscopy (BES). The conductivity of the here proposed composite electrolytes is promising. Indeed, at 30 and 100 °C it corresponds respectively to 1.75 × 10−3 S cm−1 and 1.05 × 10−2 S cm−1 for LiFT/(EMImBF4)0.183, and 1.36 × 10−2 S cm−1 and 4.42 × 10−2 S cm−1 for LiFT/(EMImTFSI)0.087. Finally, LiFT/(EMImTFSI)0.087 is used to fabricate a coin cell prototype, that is tested by galvanostatic cycling for performance and durability. •Two composite electrolytes are obtained, appearing as powder-like solids.•Li+BF4− and [Li(TFSI)2]- are formed owing to the dissociation of Li+ from LiFT component.•At 30 °C a conductivity of 1.36 × 10−2 S cm−1 is achieved by LiFT/(EMImTFSI)0.087.•Li+ are exchanged between LiFT nanoparticles and among adjacent ionic aggregates.•Battery cycling is achieved using a quasi-solid composite electrolyte.