Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Research Briefing
  • Published:

Affinity-driven electrolyte design

Subjects

A quantitative theory based on cation–solvent and anion–solvent affinity has been developed to elucidate the solvation microstructure of electrolytes. This unified framework can simultaneously predict electrolyte structure, transport properties, and interfacial behaviour. Thus, the framework provides a solvent-specific design platform for the development of high-performance electrolytes.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: The principles of using ion–solvent affinity for electrolyte design.

References

  1. Meng, Y. S., Srinivasan, V. & Xu, K. Designing better electrolytes. Science 378, eabq3750 (2022). A review article that presents how electrolytes and their associated interphases are central to supporting diverse battery chemistries.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Fang, C. et al. Elucidating the molecular origins of the transference number in battery electrolytes using computer simulations. JACS Au 3, 306–315 (2023). A review article that presents the dominant theoretical approaches used to predict transport behaviour in Li electrolytes.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Borodin, O., Behl, W. & Jow, T. R. Oxidative stability and initial decomposition reactions of carbonate, sulfone, and alkyl phosphate-based electrolytes. J. Phys. Chem. C 117, 8661–8682 (2013). This paper demonstrates that anion–solvent interactions can reduce the oxidative stability of battery electrolytes.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Hobold, G. M. et al. Moving beyond 99.9% Coulombic efficiency for lithium anodes in liquid electrolytes. Nat. Energy 6, 951–960 (2021). A review article that presents historical electrolyte developments underlying increases in Coulombic efficiency and discusses emerging frameworks to increase this efficiency beyond 99.9%.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. McEldrew, M. et al. Salt-in-ionic-liquid electrolytes: Ion network formation and negative effective charges of alkali metal cations. J. Phys. Chem. B 125, 13752–13766 (2021). This paper explores a thermodynamically consistent theory governing ionic clustering and network formation in salt-in-ionic liquids.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

This is a summary of: Li, R. et al. Unified affinity paradigm for the rational design of high-efficiency lithium metal electrolytes. Nat. Energy https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-025-01842-5 (2025).

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Affinity-driven electrolyte design. Nat Energy 10, 1060–1061 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-025-01859-w

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-025-01859-w

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing