Cheap Solvent Pair Triples Lithium-Metal Battery Cycle Life

A UNIST and KAIST team built an electrolyte from two inexpensive commodity solvents, ethylene carbonate and sulfolane, at a 3-to-7 weight ratio. The "cooperative solvation" mechanism weakens each solvent's grip on lithium ions, tripling cycle life versus conventional electrolytes.

• EC and SL at a 3-to-7 weight ratio tripled cell cycle life
• Hydrogen bonds between the solvents weaken their affinity for lithium ions
• Tests used a full cell with a high-nickel NCM811 cathode
• Results were published in ACS Nano on August 11, 2026