Application of electrolyte using novel ionic liquid to Si thick film anode of Li-ion battery

An applicability of a novel ionic liquid, consisting of 1-methoxyethoxymethyl(tri-n-butyl)phosphonium cation and bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide anion, was investigated as an electrolyte of Li-ion battery using a thick film electrode of Si prepared by a gas-deposition method. The electrochemical properties in the novel ionic liquid were compared to those in a commercial ionic liquid and a typical organic solvent of propylene carbonate. The initial discharge capacity of 3450 mA h g-1 and excellent cycling performance were achieved in the novel ionic liquid. The novel ionic liquid was confirmed to effectively suppress a collapse and an electrical isolation of the Si thick film induced by pulverization during charge-discharge cycling. The excellent performance is possibly attributed to more effective desolvation of Li ions from the anions due to its lower dielectric constant compared with the propylene carbonate solvent.