Decoupling Interfacial Reactions at Anode and Cathode by Combining Online Electrochemical Mass Spectroscopy with Anode‐Free Li‐Metal Battery

Abstract

Abstract It is essential to decouple the interfacial reactions taking place at the anode and cathode in rechargeable batteries. However, due to the reactive nature of Li, it is challenging to use Li‐metal batteries (LMBs) protocol to decouple the interfacial reactions. The by‐products from the anode or cathode become mixed in Li/NMC111 cells, which make decoupling interfacial reactions difficult. Here, reactions at electrodes are successfully decoupled and demystified using a protocol combining anode‐free LMB (AFLMB) with online electrochemical mass spectroscopy. LiPF 6 in ethylene carbonate (EC)/diethyl carbonate (DEC) and EC/ethyl methyl carbonate (1:1 v/v%) electrolytes are used to compare interfacial reactions in Li/NMC111 and Cu/NMC111 cells. In Cu/NMC111, the evolution of CO 2 , CO, and C 2 H 4 gases at the initial stage of first charging is due to interfacial reactions at Cu surface due to solid–electrolyte‐interphase formation. However, the evolution of CO 2 and CO gases at high voltage in the entire cycles is associated with chemical and/or electrochemical electrolyte oxidation at the cathode. This work paves a new concept to decouple interfacial reactions at electrodes for developing electrochemically stable electrolytes to improve the performance with the long‐cycling life of AFLMBs and LMBs.