Carbonaceous anodes for lithium-ion batteries in combination with protic ionic liquids-based electrolytes

• Protic ionic liquids (PILs) are promising electrolyte for lithium-ion batteries.
• Protic ionic liquids display all favorable properties of ionic liquids.
• PILs-based electrolyte can be used in combination with carbonaceous anodes for LIB.

Protic ionic liquids (PILs) have been recently proposed as a new class of electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). So far, PILs-based electrolytes have been used in combination with several battery materials, but never with carbonaceous anodes. Since graphite is the state-of-the-art anode in LIBs, the use of PILs-based electrolyte in combination with this material appears of particular importance. In this work we showed, for the first time, that PILs-based electrolytes can be successfully used also in combination with graphite. Even if the lithium intercalation and deintercalation process of these electrode materials occur outside the ESW of PILs, the addition of film-forming additive makes possible the formation of a stable SEI and, consequently, the use of PILs-based electrolytes. The results of this study indicate that the performance of graphite electrode in PILs-based electrolytes is comparable, and even slightly higher, than that observed in AIL-based electrolytes.