Advanced electrolytes substantially improve the performance of lithium-ion and lithium-metal batteries by extending electrochemical stability windows and stabilizing high-capacity electrodes. Current electrolyte design, however, often treats the electrolyte as a static or isolated medium, overlooking the dynamic interdependencies among ionic transport, interphase formation and redox reactions during charge and discharge. Here we adopt a chemical engineering framework to analyze lithium batteries as process systems. We begin with electrolyte solution thermodynamics to clarify the evolving identities of reactive species across different solvation regimes. We then examine how changes in concentration and electrolyte non-ideality drive interfacial reactivity, guiding the selective formation of inorganic-rich interphase layers. Finally, we revisit mass transport through the lens of the Nernst–Planck equation and introduce dimensionless analysis tools to identify performance-limiting steps across transport and reaction processes. This systems-level approach unifies thermodynamic modeling, interfacial design and transport diagnostics, offering guiding principles for the rational design of high-performance electrolytes. Inspired by analogies between electrochemical cells and chemical reactors, this Perspective explores a process-engineering framework for battery electrolyte design. By connecting electrolyte thermodynamics, interphase chemistry and mass transport across scales, this framework highlights how chemical engineering principles can guide the rational development of next-generation battery electrolytes.
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