Eutectic Electrolyte Platform for Next-Generation Electrochemical Energy Storage

In pursuit of next-generation electrochemical energy storage (EES) systems, though many researchers focus on the design of new chemistries and structures for high-capacity and stable electrode materials, the electrolyte also plays an essential role in enabling the successful function of these new electrode materials and chemistries. Discovery of new electrolytes is urgently needed to keep up with the rapid growth of EES, particularly redox flow batteries (RFBs) for grid-scale energy storage.<br/>Benefiting from strong yet tunable intermolecular interactions between different components, eutectic electrolytes emerge as a promising platform to advance EES systems as they possess attractive functionalities that conventional electrolytes do not have, such as highly concentrated systems, non-flammability, high degrees of structural flexibility, and good thermal and chemical stability, leading to greatly enhanced energy density of EES, as well as potentially lower cost and ease of preparation.<br/>In this talk, I will first introduce different mechanisms that guide the formation of eutectic electrolytes and discuss their structure–property relationships and ion transport mechanisms. I will then discuss recent progress on exploration of both metal- and organic-based eutectic electrolytes in next-generation EES with focus on RFBs, and conclude with further thoughts on the remaining challenges and potential research directions in this area.