@article{Wang2026, 
author = {Wenjian Wang and Changyi Zheng and Shengjie Zhang and Yao Liu and Linjuan Zhang and Jianqiang Wang and Yonggang Wang},
title = {Molten Salt Electrolyte Enables Micro-Sized Silicon Anode in Lithium-Ion Batteries},
year = {2026},
journal = {Energy & Environmental Materials},
volume = {9},
number = {1},
keywords = {lithium-ion batteries, high-energy density, interphase engineering, microscale/micron silicon, molten salt electrolyte},
url = {https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.1002/eem2.70111},
doi = {10.1002/eem2.70111},
abstract = {Micro-sized silicon (mSi) anodes offer high capacity for next-generation lithium-ion batteries but suffer from severe volume changes, causing unstable interphases and poor cycling. Traditional electrolytes derive unstable electrolyte/electrolyte interphases, and flammable solvents pose safety risks. Here, we introduce a non-flammable molten salt electrolyte, which consists of lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide, potassium bis(fluorosulfonyl)amide, and cesium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide in a mole ratio of 0.3:0.35:0.35 (noted as Li0.3K0.35Cs0.35FSA), that forms an inorganic interphase on mSi, stabilizing the electrode/electrolyte interface. Computational and experimental insights elucidate the FSA− anion decomposition-derived SEI predominantly of LiF, Li3N, Li2O, and Li2S, which exhibits mechanical resilience and low interfacial resistance, effectively accommodating the significant volume expansion of silicon during lithiation/delithiation. As a result, the Li‖mSi half-cell achieves 60.7% capacity retention after 100 cycles with 99.5% average Coulombic efficiency. Overall, the Li0.3K0.35Cs0.35FSA electrolyte eliminates flammability concerns while enabling robust cycling performance. This work demonstrates a safe, high-energy battery system by coupling mSi anodes with stable molten salt electrolytes, addressing both interfacial instability and safety challenges in mSi-based lithium-ion batteries.}
}