Electrolyte Confinement Enables a Continuous Transition From Battery-Like to Capacitor-Like Na$^+$ Storage via Solvent Co-Intercalation
Understanding how electrolyte solvation and nanoconfinement govern sodium-ion intercalation is essential for designing high-power sodium storage electrodes. Here, we use a model series of hydrogen titanates with systematically expanded interlayer spacings to investigate how the degree of electrolyte confinement governs the transition from battery-like toward capacitor-like Na$^+$ storage signatures. In carbonate-based electrolyte, all materials form resistive interphases, exhibit pronounced charge transfer resistance, and show conventional sluggish kinetics. In contrast, diglyme-based electrolyte enables solvent co-intercalation of Na$^+$-diglyme complexes, limits interphase formation, and produces rectangular/capacitor-like CV signatures with strongly reduced interfacial impedance and excellent high-rate performance. Ex situ TEM analysis and operando dilatometry confirm reduced interphase growth and reversible co-intercalation-induced lattice expansion in diglyme. These findings provide direct evidence for a confinement-controlled continuum between Faradaic and capacitive Na$^+$ storage and highlight electrolyte solvation and electrode nanoconfinement co-design as a powerful strategy toward high-power sodium storage.
Authors
- Maciej Tobis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5941-816X)
- Wan‐Yu Tsai (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4731-7051)
- X Liu
- Mennatalla Elmanzalawy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5339-7115)
- Yoga Trianzar Malik (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1466-9974)
- Jameela Karol
- Robert Leiter
- Thomas Pechon
- Simon Fleischmann
- De-en Jiang
- Jaehoon Choi
- Samra
Publication Details
- Journal
- KITopen
- Published
- 2026-07-16
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.5445/ir/1000195279
- Primary Topic
- Advancements in Battery Materials
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00