Lithium Triflate: A Novel Electrolyte Additive

Lithium Triflate: A Novel Electrolyte Additive

Lithium Trifluoromethanesulfonate（CAS 33454-82-9）, also known as Lithium Triflate and LiOTf, with the chemical formula LiCF3SO3, is an inorganic compound composed of lithium ion and trifluoromethanesulfonate ion. It's white powder, soluble in organic solvents and water, with good chemical stability, easy to dissolve, high melting point, etc. As a common lithium salt, it has more applications in supercapacitors, lithium-ion batteries, lithium-air batteries and other fields.

Preparation of Lithium Triflate

Methods for the preparation of Lithium Triflate include the method using Triflic acid and the method using Trifluoromethanesulfonyl Fluoride（PFC-MSF）.

The method of using Triflic acid refers to taking Triflic acid as raw material, adding lithium hydroxide or lithium carbonate, and producing finished products after sufficient reaction, which has the advantages of simple production process and easy availability of raw materials, but the quality of the finished products is relatively poor.

The method of using PFC-MSF refers to mixing PFC-MSF with lithium carbonate, producing crude Lithium Triflate after sufficient reaction, and producing finished products after cleaning, filtration, and decontamination, which is complicated and  easy to cause environmental pollution. The production process of this method is complicated and easy to cause environmental pollution.

Uses of Lithium Triflate

Lithium Triflate is an important chemical that has a wide range of uses:

• Battery Materials:Lithium Triflate serves as a widely used material in lithium-ion batteries. As a high-energy battery, lithium-ion battery has the advantages of high energy density and long cycle life. As the electrolyte of lithium-ion battery, Lithium Triflate can provide good ionic conductivity and effectively improve the working performance of the battery.
  Meanwhile, during the charging and discharging process of lithium-ion batteries, Lithium Triflate can also maintain the stability of the battery, reduce the internal resistance of the battery, and improve the cycle life of the battery.

• Chemical synthesis field: Lithium Triflate also has important uses in organic synthetic chemistry. As an acidic catalyst, it actively participates in organic synthesis reactions to promote their progress.

• Ionic Liquid Field: Lithium Triflate is an important part of ionic liquid. Ionic liquid possesses unique properties such as low volatility, high chemical stability, and a wide electrochemical window, making it widely applicable in electrochemistry, analytical chemistry, catalytic chemistry, and other fields. Lithium Triflate interacts with other cations or anions to form ionic liquids, enabling the preparation of ionic liquids with specific properties and further expanding their application scope.

• Other application fields: In addition to the above fields, Lithium Triflate also has special uses in some other fields. For example, in the field of optics, Lithium Triflate serves as a film-forming agent for laser materials, playing a crucial role in enhancing the quality and optical properties of thin films.

Developmental of Lithium Triflate

In recent years, attracted by the market prospect, the global Lithium Triflate R&D enthusiasm continues to rise, and has made many new advances.In August 2023, the research team led by Louis A. Madsen at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University determined the diffusion coefficient, ionic conductivity, and mobility of the Lithium Triflate glycerol solution, successfully discovering a new lithium-ion active mechanism. In the future, this research will drive future applications in lithium-ion and zinc-ion batteries.

Lithium Triflate serves as a common lithium salt and functions as an electrolyte additive in lithium-ion batteries. With the accelerated development of consumer electronics, new energy vehicles and other industries, global lithium-ion battery production has been growing. According to the statistics of China Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the world's lithium-ion battery production will grow by more than 23% year-on-year in 2024.

Lithium Triflate has the ability to effectively improve the cycle life of lithium-ion batteries, reduce the internal resistance of the battery, ensure the stability of the battery, etc. In the future, with the growth in demand for applications, the global lithium trifluoromethanesulfonate industry will continue to develop in a favorable trend.