Local Structure of Li+ in Superconcentrated Aqueous LiTFSA Solutions.

It has been reported that aqueous lithium ion batteries (ALIBs) can operate beyond the electrochemical window of water by using a superconcentrated electrolyte aqueous solution. The liquid structure, particularly the local structure of the Li+, which is rather different from conventional dilute solution, plays a crucial role in realizing the ALIB. To reveal the local structure around Li+, the superconcentrated LiTFSA (TFSA: bis(trifluoromethylsulfonil)amide) aqueous solutions were investigated by means of Raman spectroscopic experiments, high-energy X-ray total scattering measurements, and the neutron diffraction technique with different isotopic composition ratios of 6Li/7Li and H/D. The Li+ local structure changes with the increase of the LiTFSA concentration; the oligomer ([Lip(TFSA)q](p-q)+ (q > 2) forms at the molar fraction of LiTFSA (xLiTFSA) > 0.25. The average structure can be determined in which two water molecules and two oxygen atoms of TFSA anion(s) coordinate to the Li+ in the superconcentrated LiTFSA aqueous solution (LiTFSA)0.25(H2O)0.75. In addition, the intermolecular interaction between the neighboring water molecules was not found, and the hydrogen-bonded interaction in the solution should be significantly weak. According to the coordination number of the oxygen atom (TFSA or H2O), a variety of TFSA- and H2O coordination manners would exist in this solution; in particular, the oligomer is formed in which the monodentate TFSA cross-links Li+.