Investigation of the electrochemical properties of a propylene carbonate-derived SEI in an ethylene carbonate-based solution

Abstract

Herein, we aim to explore and analyze the influence of electrolytes on the creation of a solid electrolyte interface (SEI) within ethylene carbonate (EC) and propylene carbonate (PC)-based electrolyte solutions. Our investigation reveals that despite variations in the charge consumption during SEI formation, a comparable SEI is generated in a high-concentration PC-based electrolyte as observed in an EC-based electrolyte. However, it is noteworthy that the SEI originating from the PC-based electrolyte exhibits a significantly higher resistance to lithium ion transport when compared to the SEI formed from the EC-based electrolyte. Moreover, an increase in the charge transfer resistance at the graphite/electrolyte interface is observed in the PC-based electrolyte. These significant findings strongly imply that the choice of electrolyte solvent is a critical factor that must be taken into consideration in order to achieve the formation of an effective SEI.