Fig. 2: The Zn²⁺ local environment rearrangement and investigation in different electrolyte systems.

a Schematic of isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) setup used to monitor entropy-enhanced cluster disruption. b The thermogram for dimethyl carbonate (DMC) interaction in ZN₃A₅ 10H₂O electrolyte with a series of 29 injections and c the calculated thermal dynamics parameters. The inset image illustration of Gibbs free energy change during the entropy-enhanced process (from ZN₃A₅·10H₂O to ZN₃A₅ 10H₂O-EE), and the schematics of ion cluster configurational change undergo an endothermic process (ΔH > 0 kcal mol⁻¹). Red spheres represent [Zn²⁺---Ac⁻] contact ion pair, white spheres represent fully dissociated Na⁺ or Ac⁻ ions, blue spheres denote water molecules, and green spheres indicate dimethyl carbonate (DMC) disruptors. d The Raman spectra and e ATR-IR secretum of different electrolyte systems.