Stable Lithium Metal Battery Electrolyte for Electric Vehicles

A new lithium-based electrolyte created by Stanford University  scientists could pave the way for the next generation of battery-powered electric vehicles. The new electrolyte design boosts the performance of lithium metal batteries, a promising technology for powering electric vehicles, laptops, and other devices. “Lithium metal batteries are very promising for electric vehicles, where weight and volume are a big concern,” says Stanford researcher Zhenan Bao. “But during operation, the lithium metal anode reacts with the liquid electrolyte. This causes the growth of lithium microstructures called dendrites on the surface of the anode, which can cause the battery to catch fire and fail.” The researchers hypothesized that adding fluorine atoms onto the electrolyte molecule would make the liquid more stable. The result was a novel synthetic compound, abbreviated FDMB, that can be readily produced in bulk. In addition to longer cycle life and better stability, the new FDMB electrolyte is also far less flammable than conventional electrolytes, as the researchers demonstrate in this video.