Research progress of fluorine-containing electrolyte additives for lithium ion batteries

The construction of Solid Electrolyte Interface (SEI) film in Li-ion batteries with functional electrolyte additives is able to passivate the active material surface and inhibit the decomposition of the electrolyte continuously. In addition, safety issue is also an important factor restricting the large scale application of present lithium-ion batteries. Therefore, the additives for film-forming and safety enhancement are a class of cost-effective components that promote the application and development of batteries. Fluorine is a kind of “bipolar” element, which has strong electronegativity and weak polarity. Fluorine-containing electrolyte additives have excellent kinetic reactivity, which can preferentially generate stable SEI films and uniform Cathode-Electrolyte Interface (CEI) films to effectively improve the electrochemical performance of the batteries. Meanwhile, fluorine-containing electrolyte additives can also be used as flame-retardants to improve safety performance. In this review, we summarize the research status of fluorine-containing additives in recent years and elaborate its reaction mechanisms of improving battery performance. Finally, a personal perspective on the future of the development of fluorine-containing additives is presented.