Influence of intermolecular interactions on molecular geometry and physical quantities in electrolyte systems

In this paper, using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, ion conductivity measurements and first-principle density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we study intermolecular interactions between three molecules (methyl tetrahydrophthalic anhydride (MeTHPA), succinonitrile (SN) plastic crystal, and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) salt) constituting the lithium-ion battery electrolyte. The C–O stretching band position in MeTHPA shifts to a lower frequency in the order of MeTHPA–SN < MeTHPA < MeTHPA–LiTFSI/SN < MeTHPA–LiTFSI; the average C–O bond length in MeTHPA increases in the same order, which reveals the linear correlation between the vibration frequency shift and bond length change. Furthermore, the lithium ionic conductivities of MeTHPA–LiTFSI/SN and MeTHPA–LiTFSI are consistent with this linear relationship, which confirms that the bond length, vibration frequency and lithium-ion transport are strongly influenced by molecular-level interactions. Our results provide fundamental insights valuable for the understanding of the effect of intermolecular interactions on molecular geometry and physical quantities in different electrolytes, and could be utilized to guide the design of high-performance electrolyte materials.