Engineering Densely Packed Ion-Cluster Electrolytes for Wide-Temperature Lithium–Sulfurized Polyacrylonitrile Batteries

The electrolyte plays an essential role in the advancement of lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs), as it not only transports the charge carriers but also extensively influences sulfur conversion mechanisms and electrode-electrolyte interphases formed on the electrode surface, thereby directly impacting battery performance. However, the majority of existing electrolytes suffer from incompatibility with either the Li anode or the sulfur cathode. Here, we develop a densely packed ion-cluster electrolyte (DPIE) through the strategic combination of a weakly solvating solvent and an inert diluent, resulting in the self-assembly of abundant compact ion-pair aggregates within its structure. This peculiar solvation structure promotes fast Li