Customized design of electrolytes for high-safety and high-energy-density lithium batteries

Safety issues are the main obstacle that hinder the development of high-energy-density lithium batteries (LBs). Thermal runaway is the key scientific problem in the safety research of LBs. Recently, an ever-growing body of electrolytes are designed to improve the safety of LBs. Consequently, this review focuses on the thermal runaway behavior of LBs, including its inducement, process and the influence of electrolyte on it. Then, customized design of electrolytes are respectively proposed and discussed in order to deal with the inducement, chain exothermic reactions, fire and explosion during the three stages of thermal runaway. It is hoped this review can draw attention to the customized design of electrolytes, and thus promoting the development of high-safety and high-energy-density LBs.