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Na+ Solvation and Association in Na(SO3CF3)–Dimethoxyethane Electrolytes by Large-Angle X-Ray Scattering and DFT Calculations

delete2026-07-07
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PRE
AI
J
Jing Ma
T
Toshio Yamaguchi
J
Jochi Tseng
H
Hiroki Yamada
Z
Zhi‐Wu Yu *
Y
Yongquan Zhou *
DOI:10.1021/acs.jpcb.6c02462delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
The concentration-dependent local structure and ion solvation behavior in sodium triflate NaOTf/dimethoxyethane (DME) electrolytes were systematically investigated by integrating large-angle X-ray scattering (LAXS) with atomic modeling, IR, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations across a range of salt concentrations (x(NaOTf) = 0, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.2). LAXS data-driven all-atomic modeling reveals that Na+ ions preferentially induce DME to adopt the trans–gauche–trans (TGT) conformation, with each DME molecule coordinating to Na+ in a bidentate chelation mode via both oxygen atoms. Quantitative analysis of center-of-mass radial distribution functions shows that the average number of DME molecules coordinating to Na+ decreases from 2.2 at x(NaOTf) = 0.05 to 1.1 at x(NaOTf) = 0.2, while the average number of associated OTf– anions per Na+ increases from 0.9 to 2.3 over the same concentration range. Pair distribution functions combined with DFT-optimized cluster geometries indicate that Na+ maintains a total coordination number of 5.4–5.8, with concentration-dependent contributions from the oxygen atoms in both DME and OTf–. The Na+-OTf– contact ion pairs exhibit two distinct configurations: bidentate (CIPB) with a Na–S distance of 2.94 Å and monodentate (CIPM) with a Na–S distance of 3.69 Å. The fraction of CIPB decreases from 56% at x(NaOTf) = 0.05 to 28% at x(NaOTf) = 0.2, while the fraction of CIPM increases correspondingly from 44% to 72%. Speciation analysis based on coordination number distributions reveals that at x(NaOTf) = 0.05, 49% of Na+ exists as [Na-3DME]+, 44% as neutral [Na-1OTf-2DME]0, and 7% as anionic [Na-2OTf-1DME]−; at x(NaOTf) = 0.2, the dominant species becomes [Na-2OTf-1DME]− (35%), followed by [Na-3OTf]2– (29%), with only 20% remaining as neutral [Na-1OTf-2DME]0. This systematic evolution from solvent-separated ions to contact ion pairs and higher-order ionic aggregates with increasing salt concentration provides a quantitative structural basis for understanding the nonlinear ionic conductivity behavior in glyme-based sodium electrolytes.
Keywords:
Batteries
Electrolytes
Ions
Molecules
Solvation

Journal

T
The Journal of Physical Chemistry B
IF:
2.9
Papers:
767
Citations:
2

Organization

T
tsinghua university
Scholars:
11.5W
Papers: 9.9W
Citations: 137
J
Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute
Scholars:
1.8K
Papers: 2.7K
Citations: 2.9K
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