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Microheterogeneous Electrolytes: From Chemical Composition to Spatial Architecture─A Paradigm Shift in Electrolyte
Canfu Zhang1,2, Zhineng Ren2, Huilin Pan2,3
1School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, P. R. China.
Accounts of Chemical Research
|March 15, 2026
Summary
Microheterogeneous electrolytes (MHEs) leverage nanoscale structural organization to decouple ion transport, reactivity, and stability. This approach shifts electrolyte design from composition to microstructure regulation for advanced energy storage.
Area of Science:
- Electrochemistry and Materials Science
- Soft Matter Physics
- Energy Storage Technologies
Background:
- Conventional electrolytes rely on homogeneous solutions, limiting simultaneous optimization of ion transport, interfacial chemistry, and stability.
- Electrolytes are complex soft-matter systems exhibiting spontaneous spatial heterogeneity at various length scales.
- Microscopic heterostructures significantly influence ion transport, reactivity, and stability but are often overlooked in design.
Purpose of the Study:
- Introduce the concept of microheterogeneous electrolytes (MHEs) for advanced energy storage.
- Establish a structure-function paradigm linking solvation topology, mesoscale connectivity, and electrochemical behavior.
- Provide design principles for rational MHE development and outline experimental/computational approaches.
Main Methods:
- Review of historical development and thermodynamic origins of microheterogeneity in liquids.
- Elucidation of how energetic and entropic contributions stabilize nanoscale domains.
- Summary of experimental and computational techniques for observing and quantifying microheterostructures.
Main Results:
- MHEs utilize spatially differentiated domains to decouple conflicting electrochemical requirements.
- Accelerated ion transport via low-energy pathways and suppressed solvent reactivity through confinement are achieved.
- Broadened electrochemical stability windows and adaptive interphase formation under extreme conditions are enabled.
Conclusions:
- MHEs represent a paradigm shift from compositional optimization to microstructural regulation in electrolyte design.
- This approach offers a general principle applicable to various battery chemistries (Li+, Na+, multivalent, aqueous).
- MHEs bridge soft-matter physics and electrochemical engineering, paving the way for next-generation energy storage.
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