Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
201,818 studies31 sourcesUpdated 30 min ago
Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0JPhys Energy

Structural dynamics drive mobility in water-in-salt electrolytes

  • Célia Doublet
  • Claire Villevieille
  • Lauréline Lecarme
  • Patrick Judeinstein
  • Agathe Bélime
  • Jan Peter Embs
  • Markus Appel
  • Sandrine Lyonnard
  • Fannie Alloin
  • Quentin Berrod
Open at sourcePDFDOICite

Abstract

Water-in-salt electrolytes (WISE) defy classical transport models by maintaining high ionic conductivity despite extreme viscosities. Here, we uncover the multiscale mechanisms behind this anomaly in superconcentrated aqueous Lithium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide (LiTFSI) solutions. Using viscosity and conductivity measurements alongside pulsed-field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance and Quasi Elastic Neutron Scattering (QENS), we reveal a pronounced decoupling between species mobility and bulk viscosity. Lithium species and protons retain high mobility, while TFSI − anions are increasingly hindered. QENS identifies transient, water-rich nanodomains that enable rapid local diffusion and dynamic interdomain exchange. This work provides direct experimental evidence for hierarchical, decoupled transport in WISE, offering a new framework for designing high-performance electrolytes for energy storage.

Related

  1. Impact of Structural Water on Ionic Conductivity in Hydridoborates Solid Electrolytes
    Hyeongjun Koh, Venkata Surya Chaitanya Kolluru, J. David Bazak +6
    ChemRxivPreprintCC BYFull textGeneral chemistryChemRxiv
  2. Collective Microscopic Dynamics in Aqueous LiTFSI from Dilute to Water-in-Salt Electrolytes: Insights from Quadrupolar NMR Relaxation and Molecular Simulations
    Marinella de Giovanetti, Matthieu Wolf, Iurii Chubak +2
    Journal of Physical Chemistry BPeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full textTheoretical & computational chemistryHAL
  3. Polymorphous Structural Landscapes Drive Broadband Optical Response in Water-Stable Mixed-Halide Antiperovskites
    Sahiba Bano, Ghita Khatiri, Mitisha Jain +10
    ChemRxivPreprintCC BYFull text1 citedGeneral chemistryChemRxiv
  4. Beyond Moisture Content: Time-Domain NMR for Quantifying Molecular Mobility, Water Accessibility and Food Function
    Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)Peer-reviewedCC BYFull textGeneral chemistryEurope PMC
  5. Ion Transport Dynamics in Poly(ethylene oxide) and Poly(pentyl malonate) Electrolytes for Lithium Batteries
    Kyra M. K. Yap, Tianyang Li, Jaeyong Lee +3
    ChemRxivPreprintLicence not statedGeneral chemistryChemRxiv

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{doublet2026structural,
  title = {{Structural dynamics drive mobility in water-in-salt electrolytes}},
  author = {Célia Doublet and Claire Villevieille and Lauréline Lecarme and Patrick Judeinstein and Agathe Bélime and Jan Peter Embs and Markus Appel and Sandrine Lyonnard and Fannie Alloin and Quentin Berrod},
  journal = {JPhys Energy},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1088/2515-7655/aea9c8},
  url = {https://hal.science/hal-05801397v1},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Structural dynamics drive mobility in water-in-salt electrolytes
AU  - Célia Doublet
AU  - Claire Villevieille
AU  - Lauréline Lecarme
AU  - Patrick Judeinstein
AU  - Agathe Bélime
AU  - Jan Peter Embs
AU  - Markus Appel
AU  - Sandrine Lyonnard
AU  - Fannie Alloin
AU  - Quentin Berrod
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/08
JO  - JPhys Energy
DO  - 10.1088/2515-7655/aea9c8
UR  - https://hal.science/hal-05801397v1
AB  - Water-in-salt electrolytes (WISE) defy classical transport models by maintaining high ionic conductivity despite extreme viscosities. Here, we uncover the multiscale mechanisms behind this anomaly in superconcentrated aqueous Lithium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide (LiTFSI) solutions. Using viscosity and conductivity measurements alongside pulsed-field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance and Quasi Elastic Neutron Scattering (QENS), we reveal a pronounced decoupling between species mobility and bulk viscosity. Lithium species and protons retain high mobility, while TFSI − anions are increasingly hindered. QENS identifies transient, water-rich nanodomains that enable rapid local diffusion and dynamic interdomain exchange. This work provides direct experimental evidence for hierarchical, decoupled transport in WISE, offering a new framework for designing high-performance electrolytes for energy storage.
SN  - 2515-7655
ER  -