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Optimizing the Comprehensive Ion Effects in Glass-Forming Aqueous Inorganic Salt Electrolytes for Supercapacitor
Churui Zhang1, Haichao Chen1, Jingyuan Huang1
1Institute of Materials for Energy and Environment, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|January 17, 2026
Summary
Developing advanced anti-freezing electrolytes is key for cold-resistant aqueous energy storage. This study reveals that specific ionic properties, like cation potential and anion size, are crucial for achieving exceptional low-temperature performance in glass-forming electrolytes.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Physical Chemistry
Background:
- Aqueous electrolytes are vital for energy storage but struggle in cold environments due to freezing.
- Current research on anti-freezing solutions often overlooks comprehensive ionic effects, focusing on individual ion properties.
- Salt crystallization below freezing points causes abrupt performance failure in energy storage devices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the overall ionic effects on the anti-freezing properties of glass-forming aqueous electrolytes.
- To understand the critical factors for designing electrolytes with enhanced low-temperature performance.
- To improve the adaptability of aqueous energy storage devices for extreme cold conditions.
Main Methods:
- Studied the influence of ion type, concentrations, hydration numbers, and interactions on anti-freezing properties.
- Investigated glass-forming aqueous electrolytes by analyzing ionic characteristics.
- Evaluated the low-temperature performance of a supercapacitor cell utilizing a novel electrolyte.
Main Results:
- Identified key ionic properties for exceptional anti-freezing performance: positive cationic potentials, negative anionic potentials, large cation coordination numbers, and large anions with multiple H-bond sites.
- Achieved a glass-forming electrolyte (Ca(ClO4)2) with a glass transition at -122°C and liquid state at -85°C.
- Demonstrated a supercapacitor operational at -80°C using the Ca(ClO4)2 electrolyte.
Conclusions:
- Comprehensive understanding of overall ionic effects is crucial for designing effective anti-freezing electrolytes.
- Glass-forming electrolytes with specific ionic compositions exhibit superior cold-resistance.
- This research enables the development of aqueous energy storage devices for extreme cold environments.
Keywords:
anti‐freezing electrolytesaqueous supercapacitorscold‐resistance mechanismsglass‐forming liquidsionic effectsMore Related Videos
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