Molecular Bridging Creates an Interconnected Coordination Network for Continuous Li + Hopping in Polymer Electrolytes
ABSTRACT Fast and selective lithium ion (Li + ) transport in polymer electrolytes requires continuous, low‐barrier hopping pathways at room temperature. Here, we construct a multifunctional three‐dimensional polymer network in which solid succinonitrile (SN) dynamically couples adjacent ether and ester coordination sites, creating a bridge‐mediated, nanoscopically continuous Li + pathway. High‐field (up to 18.8 T) multinuclear multidimensional solid‐state nuclear magnetic resonance directly reveals that SN cooperates with polymer chains to form an interconnected coordination network. Acting as a dynamic molecular bridge, this network shortens Li─O transport distances to below 7 Å and accelerates Li + hopping. Meanwhile, boron‐containing moieties associate with bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide anions (FSI) and restrict their local mobility, enhancing Li + selectivity. Variable‐temperature measurements confirm accelerated local Li + dynamics with a correlation activation energy of 0.07 eV and suppressed anion motion. Consequently, the electrolyte delivers an ionic conductivity of 1.31 mS cm −1 and a Li + transference number of 0.61 at 30°C. It also enables stable cycling with high‐loading cathodes, retaining 89.8% capacity after 200 cycles with LiFePO 4 (12.9 mg cm −2 ) and robustly operating with LiNi 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 O 2 (10.0 mg cm −2 ). This work establishes a molecular structure‐dynamics framework for regulating Li + hopping and provides a practical strategy for advanced polymer electrolytes through rational engineering of dynamic local coordination environments.
Authors
- Guangjin Hou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8216-863X)
- Chengyu Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-1947-5543)
- Qing Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8030-9187)
- Chenjie Lou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0684-9625)
- Haiyan Zheng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4727-5912)
- Ligang Xu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9414-0674)
- Mingxue Tang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5819-5048)
- Wenda Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6713-6303)
- Jun Xu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3507-0159)
- Lixin Liang
- Peipei Ding (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-6320-5621)
- Yongjin Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2540-6376)
- Jie Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1054-4875)
- Yongchao Shi
Institutions
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University (CN)
- Nankai University (CN)
- Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy (CN)
- Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research (CN)
- Center for High Pressure Science & Technology Advanced Research (CN)
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering Tianjin (CN)
- State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing
- University of Science and Technology Beijing (CN)
- Tsinghua University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Advanced Functional Materials
- Published
- 2026-09-16
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.78484
- Primary Topic
- Advanced Battery Materials and Technologies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics