A research team, spearheaded by Professor Zhang Jianguo of the School of Mechatronical Engineering at the Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT), has recently published a comprehensive review article titled 'Beyond Conventional Electrolytes in Potassium-Based Batteries: Tailoring Solvation Structures, Interfaces, and Electrolyte Functions' in the esteemed international chemistry journal Coordination Chemistry Reviews (Impact Factor: 23.5). This review meticulously examines significant technological progress within the realm of potassium-based battery electrolytes. It places particular emphasis on dissecting strategies for regulating solvation structures, refining interface behaviors, and devising innovative electrolyte formulations. The study advocates for the establishment of design principles through electrolyte descriptors, aiming to achieve objectives such as adaptability across a broad temperature spectrum, stability at high voltages, cost-effective manufacturing processes, and AI-facilitated design. Experimental evidence reveals that by restructuring the electric double layer, modified electrolytes can markedly bolster the stability of both the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and the cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI), concurrently enhancing ion transport kinetics. This groundbreaking work offers robust theoretical backing for the advancement of next-generation, high-performance potassium-based energy storage systems. Notably, the strategies delineated in this study have already been implemented in various systems, including high-concentration electrolytes, localized high-concentration electrolytes, and weakly solvating electrolytes.
