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Dynamic mosaicity, key to ion transport in functional soft matter


​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​While liquid crystal batteries appear to be a promising alternative to lithium-ion technologies, their performance remains limited, particularly by our understanding of ion transport mechanisms. A consortium of scientists, including researchers from CEA-Irig/SyMMES, has demonstrated for the first time the decisive role of dynamic mosaicity in the ionic conduction of soft matter.

Published on 16 December 2025

​Lithium-ion battery technology relies on the transport of ions through a liquid electrolyte between two electrodes, as well as on electrochemical reactions that occur at the electrolyte/electrode interfaces. Despite their remarkable performance, these electrolytes are often toxic and flammable. Research is therefore focusing on new generations of batteries with 'all-solid' electrolytes, which are safer and more efficient. These systems are based on a variety of materials, including liquid crystals.

 

Researchers at CEA-Irig/SyMMES, working within a consortium, have succeeded in tripling the ionic conductivity of liquid crystal electrolytes by applying a magnetic field of just one tesla. This breakthrough is based on an understanding and control of dynamic mosaicity, now identified as a key driver of ionic transport in soft matter.

 

Mosaicity refers to the ability of liquid crystals to self-organise into domains separated by interfaces, like a mosaic connected by joints. This mosaicity is dynamic: the application of a stimulus, such as a magnetic field, modifies the size of the domains and reduces the number of interfaces that generally hinder ion transport.

 

The larger the domains, the fewer blocking interfaces there are, and the more efficient the ion transport between electrodes becomes — opening new prospects for developing stimulus-responsive organic systems, from energy technologies to ionotronics and organic optoelectronics, and further to bioelectronic devices able to interface with and probe living systems.

 

See the full article (in French) « Actualités – CNRS Chimie »

Fundings :

ANR, project CITADEL : ANR-19-CE05-0028

European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (HIDDEN, grant agreement No. 957202)

CEMAM, ANR-10-LABX-44-01

ESRF: Experiment numberSC-5292

 

Collaborations :

Systèmes Moléculaires et nanoMatériaux pour l'Energie et la Santé (SyMMES, CNRS/CEA/Univ. Grenoble Alpes/Grenoble-INP),

Laboratoire d'électrochimie et de physicochimie des matériaux et des interfaces (LEPMI, CNRS/Grenoble-INP/Univ. Grenoble Alpes/Univ. Savoie Mont-Blanc),

laboratoire Ingénierie des matériaux polymères (IMP, CNRS/Univ. Claude Bernard Lyon 1/INSA Lyon/Univ. Jean Monnet),

laboratoire Physico-chimie des matériaux et des électrolytes pour l'énergie (PCM2E, Univ. de Tours),

Laboratoire de chimie de l'ENS de Lyon (LCH, CNRS/ENS Lyon/Univ. de Lyon),

European synchrotron radiation facility (ESRF, Grenoble)


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