Ionic Liquid-based Electrolytes for Rechargeable Batteries

Abstract

The continuously growing need for novel energy storage devices for portable digital equipment, electric vehicles, and large-scale power grids has attracted much research attention over the past decades. To develop advanced electrolyte systems with non-flammability, wide voltage windows, and high ionic conductivity is one of the key issues for next-generation batteries. Ionic liquids (ILs) are a type of material consisting of organic cations and inorganic/organic anions that can be maintained in the molten salt state at room temperature. The advantages of ultralow volatility, high ionic conductivity, good thermal stability, low flammability, a wide electrochemical window, and tunable polarity and basicity/acidity make ILs an ideal candidate for advanced electrolyte systems. In Chapter 8, the application of ILs to various battery systems (including lithium/sodium/potassium batteries, aluminium-ion batteries, zinc-ion batteries, Li–S batteries, and Li–air/O2 batteries) is systematically reviewed.