High-Entropy Battery Electrolyte for Wide-Temperature Conductivity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electrolytes for batteries face challenges in maintaining ionic conductivity at low temperatures due to structural ordering, which limits their performance in extreme temperature ranges, and existing solutions either reduce viscosity but decrease dielectric constant or introduce contact ion-pairs and salt aggregates, destabilizing the electrolyte structure.
Innovation Solution
A high-entropy electrolyte composition is developed by introducing Lithium chloride as a support salt into a stronger Lewis acid-zinc chloride electrolyte, creating an asymmetric solvation structure that maximally frustrates the free solvent network and ion-pair aggregation, maintaining conductivity and stability across a wide temperature range.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If non-polar or low-polarity solvents with low melting points are added to reduce viscosity at low temperature, then viscosity decreases, but dielectric constant and availability of charge carriers decrease, reducing ionic conductivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite electrolyte system combining multiple salts (LiCl, ZnCl2) in aqueous solution to create a multi-component system that achieves both low-temperature fluidity and high ionic conductivity through synergistic interactions between different salt species
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the stoichiometric ratios of LiCl to ZnCl2 and controls water concentration to achieve a specific composition (Li2ZnCl4·9H2O) that maximizes ionic conductivity while maintaining structural stability across wide temperature ranges
2Stability of the object's composition
If super concentrated or solvent-in-salt regime is used to suppress solvent crystallization, then solvent activity is reduced and crystallization is suppressed, but contact ion-pairs and salt aggregates are introduced, destabilizing the global structure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates local structural order through specific coordination geometries (tetrahedral ZnCl4 2- units) while maintaining overall structural disorder and flexibility, achieving both stability and conductivity through hierarchical structural organization
Solution Approach 2:
Water molecules act as intermediaries that bridge between the ionic clusters and the bulk solvent, mediating the interaction to prevent both excessive aggregation and complete disorder, thereby maintaining structural stability while enabling ion transport
3Temperature
If conventional solvent-in-salt or salt-in-solvent electrolytes are used, then either viscosity is reduced or crystallization is suppressed, but both contain local cluster structures with high structural ordering, limiting ionic conductivity at low temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The electrolyte structure is segmented into discrete molecular clusters (Li2ZnCl4·9H2O) with defined stoichiometry rather than continuous networks, allowing independent movement of clusters that reduces structural ordering constraints and enhances ionic conductivity at low temperatures
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The high-entropy electrolyte composition achieves superior ionic conductivity and stability from -100°C to 100°C, eliminating parasitic reactions and maintaining electrochemical performance without thermal hysteresis, making it suitable for all-temperature battery operations.
Implementation Method 1
introducing Lithium chloride as a support salt into a stronger Lewis acid-zinc chloride electrolyte, creating an asymmetric solvation structure that maximally frustrates the free solvent network and ion-pair aggregation
Implementation Method 2
maintaining electrochemical performance without thermal hysteresis, making it suitable for all-temperature battery operations
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure is directed to high entropy electrolyte compositions, batteries utilizing said electrolyte compositions, and methods of assembling and using said batteries. The fast ion-exchanging networks formed by the electrolyte compositions disclosed herein allow for operating conditions over a wide temperature range, allowing for efficient use at both high and low temperatures.