Abstract
Given intractable challenges faced by practical sodium-ion batteries in safety, lifespan and broad temperature adaptability with synergistic interfacial compatibility, persistent efforts in electrolyte engineering are imperative to expedite their commercialization. Here we design a molecular anchoring electrolyte with flame retardancy, oxidative/reductive reliability and electrochemical durability against various electrodes. Through multiple dipolar interactions (δ+H-δ-F and δ+H-δ-O), a dynamic hierarchical solvation network is constructed and its unique interface stabilization mechanism is revealed by multiscale characterizations and theoretical insights. The electrolyte endows high-voltage phosphate positive electrodes with high electrochemical durability (for instance, 87.6% of capacity retention after 5000 cycles at 2 C) through constructing robust interphases containing fluorine and nitrogen elements. Good compatibility with commercial layered oxide positive electrodes further indicates its versatility. Strikingly, the electrolyte also makes it feasible to operate under wide temperature range (−60 ~ 70 °C). Our proposed dipolar interaction regulation mechanism provides an effective approach for designing safe and durable electrolytes, stimulating practical application of wide-temperature sodium-ion batteries in pursuit of sustainable energy storage.
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The authors declare that all the relevant data within this paper and its Supplementary Information file are available from the corresponding author upon request. Source data are provided with this paper.
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Acknowledgements
We acknowledge the financial support from the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2023YFE0202000), National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 52502221 and 52472089), Natural Science Foundation of Jilin Province (No. 20250101013JJ), and National Postdoctoral Program for Innovative Talents (No. BX20240062), Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. 2412025QG001).
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Y.-L.H., Z.-Y.G., and X.-L.W. conceived the idea and designed the experiments. Y.-L.H. performed the material characterizations and electrochemical measurements with assistance from Z.-Y.G., H.-H.L., X.-T.W., and S.-Y.L. J.W. contributed to the NMR tests. Y.-Z.T. provided support in the field of theoretical calculations. Y.-L.H. analyzed the data and prepared the paper with contributions from all authors.
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Heng, YL., Gu, ZY., Tang, YZ. et al. Dipolar interaction-mediated molecular anchoring electrolyte enables wide-temperature sodium-ion batteries with enhanced safety and durability. Nat Commun (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-71861-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-71861-7
