Scientific Achievement
Identified short-range structural order (SRO) in a model organic electrolyte of 1 M LiPF6 in 1:1 ethylene carbonate (EC):dimethyl carbonate (DEC) at -30 ºC.
Significance and Impact
The combination of liquid phase 4D-STEM with machine-learning data analysis enables a microscopic characterization of SRO, which impacts macroscopic parameters, e.g., ion ionic conductivity, ionic transport mode, and viscosity.
Research Details
- The integrated approach of liquid cell EM, cryo-EM, 4D-STEM, machine learning, EELS, and MD simulation, enabled the characterization of highly beam-sensitive liquid organic electrolyte at -30 ºC.
- Discovered SRO in the high salt concentration domains of the low temperature electrolyte.
Publication Details
Y. Xie, J. Wang, B. Savitzky, Z. Chen, Y. Wang, S. Betzler, K. Bustillo, K. Persson, Y. Cui, L. Wang, C. Ophus, P. Ercius, H. Zheng, Science Advances 9, eadc9721 (2023).
