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arXiv · 2510.24580

Breaking Ion Clusters: Size Asymmetry for Faster Ion Transport in Polymer Electrolytes

Ganesh K Rajahmundry·Tarak K Patra
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Abstract

Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) are ion-containing solid materials composed of a polymer matrix that enables ionic transport while maintaining the mechanical stability. The conventional wisdom is that for a high ion concentration, ions microphase separate from the polymer matrix, resulting in poor conductivity. Instead, we show that a high ion size ratio promotes better mixing of the ions with the polymer matrix. Under these conditions, the ion-dipole moment interaction dominates over the ion-ion interaction and improves the ion dispersion in the polymer matrix. The ion size ratio is thus a key to tailor the properties of these materials with immediate relevance to the development of SPEs for energy storage devices.

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Ganesh K Rajahmundry, Tarak K Patra. 2025-10-28. Breaking Ion Clusters: Size Asymmetry for Faster Ion Transport in Polymer Electrolytes. https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.24580

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