LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O 4 (LNMO) is a promising high-energy cathode material for lithium-ion batteries due to its high operating voltage (~5 V vs. Li + /Li) which leads to a high energy density. However, the high voltage also induces unstable LNMO/electrolyte interface when cycled in regular electrolytes. Typical approaches to modifying LNMO involve either the in-situ formation of a protective cathode/electrolyte interphase (CEI) film on the surface of LNMO, or the application of high-voltage-stable electrolytes (e.g., sulfolane-based electrolytes) to replace the commonly used ethylene carbonate (EC)-based electrolytes, which are generally considered unstable under high-voltage conditions. Although these approaches have led to significant advances, it still remains a great challenge to develop a high-voltage electrolyte for LNMO batteries with long-term stability.
To overcome the unstable LNMO/electrolyte interface, a research team led by Prof. Linghui Yu from Wuhan Textile University developed an EC-based electrolyte highly compatible with high-voltage LNMO cathodes and realized their stable cycling performance.
The study was published in Nano Research on August 1, 2026
They employed EC as the sole solvent and used 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethyl 2,2,3,3-tetrafluoropropylether (TTE) as a diluent to lower the high melting point of EC. Through the use of the electrolyte, they uncovered two insights that go against conventional understanding. Contrary to the common belief that EC decomposes readily under high voltage, they demonstrated the outstanding high-voltage stability of both EC and the EC/TTE electrolyte. Moreover, they found that LNMO cycled in this electrolyte without forming a typical CEI layer, experiencing instead a unique surface restructuring. Under the conditions of the high-voltage stability of the electrolyte and of surface restructuring, the dissolution of nickel and manganese from LNMO was also mitigated. These features led to long-term cyclability of LNMO batteries with an average CE of 99.86%. By challenging the perceived instability of EC and revealing a CEI-free surface restructuring process, this work offers both a practical electrolyte design and a fresh interfacial stabilization concept for high-voltage batteries.
Other contributors include Tingyu Zha, Hexiang Lan, Jiajia Zhu, Weiming Wang, Aiping Jin, Jun Xiong, Junjun Peng, and Ming Li from Wuhan Textile University.
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 52577234) and the Wuhan Textile University Fund B (k24098 and K25025).
DOI Link:
https://doi.org/10.26599/NR.2026.94909069
About Nano Research
Nano Research is a peer-reviewed, open access, international and interdisciplinary research journal, sponsored by Tsinghua University and the Chinese Chemical Society, published by Tsinghua University Press on the platform SciOpen. It publishes original high-quality research and significant review articles on all aspects of nanoscience and nanotechnology, ranging from basic aspects of the science of nanoscale materials to practical applications of such materials. After 18 years of development, it has become one of the most influential academic journals in the nano field. Nano Research has published more than 1,000 papers every year from 2022, with its cumulative count surpassing 8,000 articles. In 2025 InCites Journal Citation Reports, its 2025 IF is 9.4 (8.3, 5 years), and it continues to be the Q1 area among the four subject classifications. Nano Research Award, established by Nano Research together with TUP and Springer Nature in 2013, and Nano Research Young Innovators (NR45) Awards, established by Nano Research in 2018, have become international academic awards with global influence.
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