Neutral-cluster-mediated suppression of solvent migration in high-voltage ether-based electrolytes

Chaocang Weng

doi:10.1016/j.ensm.2026.105218

Neutral-cluster-mediated suppression of solvent migration in high-voltage ether-based electrolytes

2026-05-12

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DOI：10.1016/j.ensm.2026.105218

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Electrolyte decomposition remains a fundamental challenge in high-voltage batteries, as it is intrinsically driven by interfacial electron transfer. In lithium-compatible ether electrolytes such as 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME), conventional solvation structure regulation and interfacial passivation strategies struggle to reconcile electrochemical performance with oxidative stability. Here, we construct cation-DME-anion neutral clusters by exploiting the electrostatic interaction framework of ionic liquids, which suppresses DME migration toward the electrode and thereby mitigates electron-transfer-induced decomposition. Together with interfacial passivation, the resulting DME-based electrolyte achieves high ionic conductivity (10 mS cm-1) and oxidation stability (4.9 V). Consequently, Li//LiCoO2 cell maintains a high-capacity retention ratio of 97.3% after 300 cycles at 4.5 V, with an average Coulombic efficiency (CE) of 99.6%, and holds a high CE of 99.5% even at 4.6 V. This work establishes neutral-cluster-mediated restriction of solvent migration as an effective mechanism to suppress interfacial electrolyte decomposition, opening a promising route for extending the use of intrinsically low-stability solvents in high-voltage battery systems.

Keywords:

solvent migration

electrolyte decomposition

high-voltage batteries

ether-based electrolytes

neutral clusters

Neutral-cluster-mediated suppression of solvent migration in high-voltage ether-based electrolytes

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