Sample records for ionics electrolytic regeneration process

  1. Lithium ion conducting ionic electrolytes

    DOEpatents

    Angell, C.A.; Xu, K.; Liu, C.

    1996-01-16

    A liquid, predominantly lithium-conducting, ionic electrolyte is described which has exceptionally high conductivity at temperatures of 100 C or lower, including room temperature. It comprises molten lithium salts or salt mixtures in which a small amount of an anionic polymer lithium salt is dissolved to stabilize the liquid against recrystallization. Further, a liquid ionic electrolyte which has been rubberized by addition of an extra proportion of anionic polymer, and which has good chemical and electrochemical stability, is described. This presents an attractive alternative to conventional salt-in-polymer electrolytes which are not cationic conductors. 4 figs.

  2. Lithium ion conducting ionic electrolytes

    DOEpatents

    Angell, C. Austen; Xu, Kang; Liu, Changle

    1996-01-01

    A liquid, predominantly lithium-conducting, ionic electrolyte is described which has exceptionally high conductivity at temperatures of 100.degree. C. or lower, including room temperature. It comprises molten lithium salts or salt mixtures in which a small amount of an anionic polymer lithium salt is dissolved to stabilize the liquid against recrystallization. Further, a liquid ionic electrolyte which has been rubberized by addition of an extra proportion of anionic polymer, and which has good chemical and electrochemical stability, is described. This presents an attractive alternative to conventional salt-in-polymer electrolytes which are not cationic conductors.

  3. Correlation between ion diffusional motion and ionic conductivity for different electrolytes based on ionic liquid.

    PubMed

    Kaur, Dilraj Preet; Yamada, K; Park, Jin-Soo; Sekhon, S S

    2009-04-23

    Room temperature ionic liquid 2,3-dimethyl-1-hexylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl)imide (DMHxImTFSI) has been synthesized and used in the preparation of polymer gel electrolytes containing polymethylmethacrylate and propylene carbonate (PC). The onset of ion diffusional motion has been studied by (1)H and (19)F NMR spectroscopy and the results obtained for ionic liquid, liquid electrolytes, and polymer gel electrolytes have been correlated with the ionic conductivity results for these electrolytes in the 100-400 K temperature range. The temperature at which (1)H and (19)F NMR lines show motional narrowing and hence ion diffusional motion starts has been found to be closely related to the temperature at which a large increase in ionic conductivity has been observed for these electrolytes. Polymer gel electrolytes have high ionic conductivity over a wide range of temperatures. Thermogravimetric analysis/differential scanning calorimetry studies show that the ionic liquid (DMHxImTFSI) used in the present study is thermally stable up to 400 degrees C, whereas the addition of PC lowers the thermal stability of polymer gel electrolytes containing the ionic liquid. Different electrolytes have been observed to show high ionic conductivity in different range of temperatures, which can be helpful in the design of polymer gel electrolytes for specific applications.

  4. Ionic Liquid Catalyzed Electrolyte for Electrochemical Polyaniline Supercapacitors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Inamdar, A. I.; Im, Hyunsik; Jung, Woong; Kim, Hyungsang; Kim, Byungchul; Yu, Kook-Hyun; Kim, Jin-Sang; Hwang, Sung-Min

    2013-05-01

    The effect of different wt.% of ionic liquid "1,6-bis (trimethylammonium-1-yl) hexane tetrafluoroborate" in 0.5 M LiClO4+PC electrolyte on the supercapacitor properties of polyaniline (PANI) thin film are investigated. The PANI film is synthesized using electropolymerization of aniline in the presence of sulfuric acid. The electrochemical properties of the PANI thin film are studied by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements. The optimum amount of the ionic liquid is found to be 2 wt.% which provides better ionic conductivity of the electrolyte. The highest specific capacitance of 259 F/g is obtained using the 2 wt.% electrolyte. This capacitance remains at up to 208 F/g (80% capacity retention) after 1000 charge-discharge cycles at a current density of 0.5 mA/g. The PANI film in the 2 wt.% ionic liquid catalyzed 0.5 M LiClO4+PC electrolyte shows small electrochemical resistance, better rate performance and higher cyclability. The increased ionic conductivity of the 2 wt.% ionic liquid catalyzed electrolyte causes a reduction in resistance at the electrode/electrolyte interface, which can be useful in electrochemically-preferred power devices for better applicability.

  5. New electrolytes for aluminum production: Ionic liquids

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Mingming; Kamavarum, Venkat; Reddy, Ramana G.

    2003-11-01

    In this article, the reduction, refining/recycling, and electroplating of aluminum from room-temperature molten salts are reviewed. In addition, the characteristics of several non-conventional organic solvents, electrolytes, and molten salts are evaluated, and the applicability of these melts for production of aluminum is discussed with special attention to ionic liquids. Also reviewed are electrochemical processes and conditions for electrodeposition of aluminum using ionic liquids at near room temperatures.

  6. Composite Electrolytes for Lithium Batteries: Ionic Liquids in APTES Crosslinked Polymers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tigelaar, Dean M.; Meador, Mary Ann B.; Bennett, William R.

    2007-01-01

    Solvent free polymer electrolytes were made consisting of Li(+) and pyrrolidinium salts of trifluoromethanesulfonimide added to a series of hyperbranched poly(ethylene oxide)s (PEO). The polymers were connected by triazine linkages and crosslinked by a sol-gel process to provide mechanical strength. The connecting PEO groups were varied to help understand the effects of polymer structure on electrolyte conductivity in the presence of ionic liquids. Polymers were also made that contain poly(dimethylsiloxane) groups, which provide increased flexibility without interacting with lithium ions. When large amounts of ionic liquid are added, there is little dependence of conductivity on the polymer structure. However, when smaller amounts of ionic liquid are added, the inherent conductivity of the polymer becomes a factor. These electrolytes are more conductive than those made with high molecular weight PEO imbibed with ionic liquids at ambient temperatures, due to the amorphous nature of the polymer.

  7. Ionic liquid electrolytes for dye-sensitized solar cells.

    PubMed

    Gorlov, Mikhail; Kloo, Lars

    2008-05-28

    The potential of room-temperature molten salts (ionic liquids) as solvents for electrolytes for dye-sensitized solar cells has been investigated during the last decade. The non-volatility, good solvent properties and high electrochemical stability of ionic liquids make them attractive solvents in contrast to volatile organic solvents. Despite this, the relatively high viscosity of ionic liquids leads to mass-transport limitations. Here we review recent developments in the application of different ionic liquids as solvents or components of liquid and quasi-solid electrolytes for dye-sensitized solar cells.

  8. Optimizing Ionic Electrolytes for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fan, Xiaojuan; Hall, Sarah

    2009-03-01

    Dye-sensitized solar cells DSSCs provide next generation, low cost, and easy fabrication photovoltaic devices based on organic sensitizing molecules, polymer gel electrolyte, and metal oxide semiconductors. One of the key components is the solvent-free ionic liquid electrolyte that has low volatility and high stability. We report a rapid and low cost method to fabricate ionic polymer electrolyte used in DSSCs. Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) is blended with imidazolinium salt without any chemical solvent to form a gel electrolyte. Uniform and crack-free porous TiO2 thin films are sensitized by porphrine dye covered by the synthesized gel electrolyte. The fabricated DSSCs are more stable and potentially increase the photo-electricity conversion efficiency.

  9. Mixed organic compound-ionic liquid electrolytes for lithium battery electrolyte systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Montanino, M.; Moreno, M.; Carewska, M.; Maresca, G.; Simonetti, E.; Lo Presti, R.; Alessandrini, F.; Appetecchi, G. B.

    2014-12-01

    The thermal, transport, rheological and flammability properties of electrolyte mixtures, proposed for safer lithium-ion battery systems, were investigated as a function of the mole composition. The blends were composed of a lithium salt (LiTFSI), organic solvents (namely EC, DEC) and an ionic liquid (PYR13TFSI). The main goal is to combine the fast ion transport properties of the organic compounds with the safe issues of the non-flammable and non-volatile ionic liquids. Preliminary tests in batteries have evidenced cycling performance approaching that observed in commercial organic electrolytes.

  10. Flexible thin-film battery based on solid-like ionic liquid-polymer electrolyte

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Qin; Ardebili, Haleh

    2016-01-01

    The development of high-performance flexible batteries is imperative for several contemporary applications including flexible electronics, wearable sensors and implantable medical devices. However, traditional organic liquid-based electrolytes are not ideal for flexible batteries due to their inherent safety and stability issues. In this study, a non-volatile, non-flammable and safe ionic liquid (IL)-based polymer electrolyte film with solid-like feature is fabricated and incorporated in a flexible lithium ion battery. The ionic liquid is 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide (EMIMDCA) and the polymer is composed of poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropene) (PVDF-HFP). The electrolyte exhibits good thermal stability (i.e. no weight loss up to 300 °C) and relatively high ionic conductivity (6 × 10-4 S cm-1). The flexible thin-film lithium ion battery based on solid-like electrolyte film is encapsulated using a thermal-lamination process and demonstrates excellent electrochemical performance, in both flat and bent configurations.

  11. Improved ionic conductivity of lithium-zinc-tellurite glass-ceramic electrolytes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Widanarto, W.; Ramdhan, A. M.; Ghoshal, S. K.; Effendi, M.; Cahyanto, W. T.; Warsito

    An enhancement in the secondary battery safety demands the optimum synthesis of glass-ceramics electrolytes with modified ionic conductivity. To achieve improved ionic conductivity and safer operation of the battery, we synthesized Li2O included zinc-tellurite glass-ceramics based electrolytes of chemical composition (85-x)TeO2·xLi2O·15ZnO, where x = 0, 5, 10, 15 mol%. Samples were prepared using the melt quenching method at 800 °C followed by thermal annealing at 320 °C for 3 h and characterized. The effects of varying temperature, alternating current (AC) frequency and Li2O concentration on the structure and ionic conductivity of such glass-ceramics were determined. The SEM images of the annealed glass-ceramic electrolytes displayed rough surface with a uniform distribution of nucleated crystal flakes with sizes less than 1 μm. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the well crystalline nature of achieved electrolytes. Incorporation of Li2O in the electrolytes was found to generate some new crystalline phases including hexagonal Li6(TeO6), monoclinic Zn2Te3O8 and monoclinic Li2Te2O5. The estimated crystallite size of the electrolyte was ranged from ≈40 to 80 nm. AC impedance measurement revealed that the variation in the temperatures, Li2O contents, and high AC frequencies have a significant influence on the ionic conductivity of the electrolytes. Furthermore, electrolyte doped with 15 mol% of Li2O exhibited the optimum performance with an ionic conductivity ≈2.4 × 10-7 S cm-1 at the frequency of 54 Hz and in the temperature range of 323-473 K. This enhancement in the conductivity was attributed to the sizable alteration in the ions vibration and ruptures of covalent bonds in the electrolytes network structures.

  12. Advances in the electrodeposition of aluminum from ionic liquid based electrolytes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leadbetter, Kirt C.

    Aluminum plating is of considerable technical and economic interest because it provides an eco-friendly substitute for cadmium coatings used on many military systems. However, cadmium has been determined to be a significant environmental safety and occupational health (ESOH) hazard because of its toxicity and carcinogenic nature. Furthermore, the cost of treating and disposing of generated wastes, which often contain cyanide, is costly and is becoming prohibitive in the face of increasingly stringent regulatory standards. The non-toxic alternative aluminum is equivalent or superior in performance to cadmium. In addition, it could serve to provide an alternative to hexavalent chromium coatings used on military systems for similar reasons to that of cadmium. Aluminum is a beneficial alternative in that it demonstrates self-healing corrosion resistance in the form of a tightly-bound, impervious oxide layer. A successfully plated layer would be serviceable over a wider temperature range, 925 °F for aluminum compared to 450 oF for cadmium. In addition, an aluminum layer can be anodized to make it non-conducting and colorable. In consideration of the plating process, aluminum cannot be deposited from aqueous solutions because of its reduction potential. Therefore, nonaqueous electrolytes are required for deposition. Currently, aluminum can be electrodeposited in nonaqueous processes that use hazardous chemicals such as toluene and pyrophoric aluminum alkyls. Electrodeposition from ionic liquids provides the potential for a safer method that could be easily scaled up for industrial application. The plating process could be performed at a lower temperature and higher current density than other commercially available aluminum electrodeposition processes; thus a reduced process cost could be possible. The current ionic liquid based electrolytes are more expensive; however production on a larger scale and a long electrolyte lifetime are associated with a reduction in price

  13. Ionic liquids, electrolyte solutions including the ionic liquids, and energy storage devices including the ionic liquids

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gering, Kevin L.; Harrup, Mason K.; Rollins, Harry W.

    2015-12-08

    An ionic liquid including a phosphazene compound that has a plurality of phosphorus-nitrogen units and at least one pendant group bonded to each phosphorus atom of the plurality of phosphorus-nitrogen units. One pendant group of the at least one pendant group comprises a positively charged pendant group. Additional embodiments of ionic liquids are disclosed, as are electrolyte solutions and energy storage devices including the embodiments of the ionic liquid.

  14. Creating Lithium-Ion Electrolytes with Biomimetic Ionic Channels in Metal-Organic Frameworks.

    PubMed

    Shen, Li; Wu, Hao Bin; Liu, Fang; Brosmer, Jonathan L; Shen, Gurong; Wang, Xiaofeng; Zink, Jeffrey I; Xiao, Qiangfeng; Cai, Mei; Wang, Ge; Lu, Yunfeng; Dunn, Bruce

    2018-06-01

    Solid-state electrolytes are the key to the development of lithium-based batteries with dramatically improved energy density and safety. Inspired by ionic channels in biological systems, a novel class of pseudo solid-state electrolytes with biomimetic ionic channels is reported herein. This is achieved by complexing the anions of an electrolyte to the open metal sites of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), which transforms the MOF scaffolds into ionic-channel analogs with lithium-ion conduction and low activation energy. This work suggests the emergence of a new class of pseudo solid-state lithium-ion conducting electrolytes. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. Lithium insertion in graphite from ternary ionic liquid-lithium salt electrolytes. I. Electrochemical characterization of the electrolytes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Appetecchi, Giovanni B.; Montanino, Maria; Balducci, Andrea; Lux, Simon F.; Winterb, Martin; Passerini, Stefano

    In this paper we report the results of chemical-physical investigation performed on ternary room temperature ionic liquid-lithium salt mixtures as electrolytes for lithium-ion battery systems. The ternary electrolytes were made by mixing N-methyl- N-propyl pyrrolidinium bis(fluorosulfonyl) imide (PYR 13FSI) and N-butyl- N-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide (PYR 14TFSI) ionic liquids with lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF 6) or lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI). The mixtures were developed based on preliminary results on the cyclability of graphite electrodes in the IL-LiX binary electrolytes. The results clearly show the beneficial synergic effect of the two ionic liquids on the electrochemical properties of the mixtures.

  16. Two-cation competition in ionic-liquid-modified electrolytes for lithium ion batteries.

    PubMed

    Lee, Sang-Young; Yong, Hyun Hang; Lee, Young Joo; Kim, Seok Koo; Ahn, Soonho

    2005-07-21

    It is a common observation that when ionic liquids are added to electrolytes the performances of lithium ion cells become poor, while the thermal safeties of the electrolytes might be improved. In this study, this behavior is investigated based on the kinetics of ionic diffusion. As a model ionic liquid, we chose butyldimethylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BDMIPF(6)). The common solvent was propylene carbonate (PC), and lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF(6)) was selected as the lithium conducting salt. Ionic diffusion coefficients are estimated by using a pulsed field gradient NMR technique. From a basic study on the model electrolytes (BDMIPF(6) in PC, LiPF(6) in PC, and BDMIPF(6) + LiPF(6) in PC), it was found that the BDMI(+) from BDMIPF(6) shows larger diffusion coefficients than the Li(+) from LiPF(6). However, the anionic (PF(6)(-)) diffusion coefficients present little difference between the model electrolytes. The higher diffusion coefficient of BDMI(+) than that of Li(+) suggests that the poor C-rate performance of lithium ion cells containing ionic liquids as an electrolyte component can be attributed to the two-cation competition between Li(+) and BDMI(+).

  17. Crosslinked Polymer Ionic Liquid/Ionic Liquid Blends Prepared by Photopolymerization as Solid-State Electrolytes in Supercapacitors.

    PubMed

    Wang, Po-Hsin; Wang, Tzong-Liu; Lin, Wen-Churng; Lin, Hung-Yin; Lee, Mei-Hwa; Yang, Chien-Hsin

    2018-04-07

    A photopolymerization method is used to prepare a mixture of polymer ionic liquid (PIL) and ionic liquid (IL). This mixture is used as a solid-state electrolyte in carbon nanoparticle (CNP)-based symmetric supercapacitors. The solid electrolyte is a binary mixture of a PIL and its corresponding IL. The PIL matrix is a cross-linked polyelectrolyte with an imidazole salt cation coupled with two anions of Br - in PIL-M-(Br) and TFSI - in PIL-M-(TFSI), respectively. The corresponding ionic liquids have imidazolium salt cation coupled with two anions of Br - and TFSI - , respectively. This study investigates the electrochemical characteristics of PILs and their corresponding IL mixtures used as a solid electrolyte in supercapacitors. Results show that a specific capacitance, maximum power density and energy density of 87 and 58 F·g - ¹, 40 and 48 kW·kg - ¹, and 107 and 59.9 Wh·kg - ¹ were achieved in supercapacitors based on (PIL-M-(Br)) and (PIL-M-(TFSI)) solid electrolytes, respectively.

  18. Optimization of neural network for ionic conductivity of nanocomposite solid polymer electrolyte system (PEO-LiPF 6-EC-CNT)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johan, Mohd Rafie; Ibrahim, Suriani

    2012-01-01

    In this study, the ionic conductivity of a nanocomposite polymer electrolyte system (PEO-LiPF 6-EC-CNT), which has been produced using solution cast technique, is obtained using artificial neural networks approach. Several results have been recorded from experiments in preparation for the training and testing of the network. In the experiments, polyethylene oxide (PEO), lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF 6), ethylene carbonate (EC) and carbon nanotubes (CNT) are mixed at various ratios to obtain the highest ionic conductivity. The effects of chemical composition and temperature on the ionic conductivity of the polymer electrolyte system are investigated. Electrical tests reveal that the ionic conductivity of the polymer electrolyte system varies with different chemical compositions and temperatures. In neural networks training, different chemical compositions and temperatures are used as inputs and the ionic conductivities of the resultant polymer electrolytes are used as outputs. The experimental data is used to check the system's accuracy following the training process. The neural network is found to be successful for the prediction of ionic conductivity of nanocomposite polymer electrolyte system.

  19. The Effect of Ionic Strength on the Solubility of an Electrolyte

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Willey, Joan D.

    2004-01-01

    A simple experiment was conducted for studying and demonstrating visually and dramatically the effect of ionic strength on the solubility of an electrolyte is described. It is seen that the experiment visually illustrates the effect of ionic strength on electrolyte solubility by the appearance of the two solutions and by the difference in the…

  20. Ionic Liquid-Doped Gel Polymer Electrolyte for Flexible Lithium-Ion Polymer Batteries

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Ruisi; Chen, Yuanfen; Montazami, Reza

    2015-01-01

    Application of gel polymer electrolytes (GPE) in lithium-ion polymer batteries can address many shortcomings associated with liquid electrolyte lithium-ion batteries. Due to their physical structure, GPEs exhibit lower ion conductivity compared to their liquid counterparts. In this work, we have investigated and report improved ion conductivity in GPEs doped with ionic liquid. Samples containing ionic liquid at a variety of volume percentages (vol %) were characterized for their electrochemical and ionic properties. It is concluded that excess ionic liquid can damage internal structure of the batteries and result in unwanted electrochemical reactions; however, samples containing 40–50 vol % ionic liquid exhibit superior ionic properties and lower internal resistance compared to those containing less or more ionic liquids.

  1. Ionic Liquids as Electrolytes for Electrochemical Double-Layer Capacitors: Structures that Optimize Specific Energy.

    PubMed

    Mousavi, Maral P S; Wilson, Benjamin E; Kashefolgheta, Sadra; Anderson, Evan L; He, Siyao; Bühlmann, Philippe; Stein, Andreas

    2016-02-10

    Key parameters that influence the specific energy of electrochemical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) are the double-layer capacitance and the operating potential of the cell. The operating potential of the cell is generally limited by the electrochemical window of the electrolyte solution, that is, the range of applied voltages within which the electrolyte or solvent is not reduced or oxidized. Ionic liquids are of interest as electrolytes for EDLCs because they offer relatively wide potential windows. Here, we provide a systematic study of the influence of the physical properties of ionic liquid electrolytes on the electrochemical stability and electrochemical performance (double-layer capacitance, specific energy) of EDLCs that employ a mesoporous carbon model electrode with uniform, highly interconnected mesopores (3DOm carbon). Several ionic liquids with structurally diverse anions (tetrafluoroborate, trifluoromethanesulfonate, trifluoromethanesulfonimide) and cations (imidazolium, ammonium, pyridinium, piperidinium, and pyrrolidinium) were investigated. We show that the cation size has a significant effect on the electrolyte viscosity and conductivity, as well as the capacitance of EDLCs. Imidazolium- and pyridinium-based ionic liquids provide the highest cell capacitance, and ammonium-based ionic liquids offer potential windows much larger than imidazolium and pyridinium ionic liquids. Increasing the chain length of the alkyl substituents in 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonimide does not widen the potential window of the ionic liquid. We identified the ionic liquids that maximize the specific energies of EDLCs through the combined effects of their potential windows and the double-layer capacitance. The highest specific energies are obtained with ionic liquid electrolytes that possess moderate electrochemical stability, small ionic volumes, low viscosity, and hence high conductivity, the best performing ionic liquid tested being 1-ethyl-3

  2. Crosslinked Polymer Ionic Liquid/Ionic Liquid Blends Prepared by Photopolymerization as Solid-State Electrolytes in Supercapacitors

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Po-Hsin; Wang, Tzong-Liu; Lin, Wen-Churng; Lin, Hung-Yin; Lee, Mei-Hwa; Yang, Chien-Hsin

    2018-01-01

    A photopolymerization method is used to prepare a mixture of polymer ionic liquid (PIL) and ionic liquid (IL). This mixture is used as a solid-state electrolyte in carbon nanoparticle (CNP)-based symmetric supercapacitors. The solid electrolyte is a binary mixture of a PIL and its corresponding IL. The PIL matrix is a cross-linked polyelectrolyte with an imidazole salt cation coupled with two anions of Br− in PIL-M-(Br) and TFSI− in PIL-M-(TFSI), respectively. The corresponding ionic liquids have imidazolium salt cation coupled with two anions of Br− and TFSI−, respectively. This study investigates the electrochemical characteristics of PILs and their corresponding IL mixtures used as a solid electrolyte in supercapacitors. Results show that a specific capacitance, maximum power density and energy density of 87 and 58 F·g−1, 40 and 48 kW·kg−1, and 107 and 59.9 Wh·kg−1 were achieved in supercapacitors based on (PIL-M-(Br)) and (PIL-M-(TFSI)) solid electrolytes, respectively. PMID:29642456

  3. Conductivity-Relaxation Relations in Nanocomposite Polymer Electrolytes Containing Ionic Liquid.

    PubMed

    Shojaatalhosseini, Mansoureh; Elamin, Khalid; Swenson, Jan

    2017-10-19

    In this study, we have used nanocomposite polymer electrolytes, consisting of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), δ-Al 2 O 3 nanoparticles, and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesolfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) salt (with 4 wt % δ-Al 2 O 3 and PEO:Li ratios of 16:1 and 8:1), and added different amounts of the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesolfonyl)imide (BMITFSI). The aim was to elucidate whether the ionic liquid is able to dissociate the Li-ions from the ether oxygens and thereby decouple the ionic conductivity from the segmental polymer dynamics. The results from DSC and dielectric spectroscopy show that the ionic liquid speeds up both the segmental polymer dynamics and the motion of the Li + ions. However, a close comparison between the structural (α) relaxation process, given by the segmental polymer dynamics, and the ionic conductivity shows that the motion of the Li + ions decouples from the segmental polymer dynamics at higher concentrations of the ionic liquid (≥20 wt %) and instead becomes more related to the viscosity of the ionic liquid. This decoupling increases with decreasing temperature. In addition to the structural α-relaxation, two more local relaxation processes, denoted β and γ, are observed. The β-relaxation becomes slightly faster at the highest concentration of the ionic liquid (at least for the lower salt concentration), whereas the γ-relaxation is unaffected by the ionic liquid, over the whole concentration range 0-40 wt %.

  4. Thermal regeneration of an electrochemical concentration cell

    DOEpatents

    Krumpelt, Michael; Bates, John K.

    1981-01-01

    A system and method for thermally regenerating an electrochemical concentration cell having first and second aluminum electrodes respectively positioned in contact with first and second electrolytes separated by an ion exchange member, the first and second electrolytes being composed of different concentrations of an ionic solvent and a salt, preferably an aluminum halide. The ionic solvent may be either organic or inorganic with a relatively low melting point, the ionic solvent and the salt form a complex wherein the free energy of formation of said complex is less than about -5 Kcal/mole. A distillation column using solar heat or low grade industrial waste heat receives the first and second electrolytes and thermally decomposes the salt-solvent complex to provide feed material for the two half cells.

  5. Performance of carbon-carbon supercapacitors based on organic, aqueous and ionic liquid electrolytes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lewandowski, Andrzej; Olejniczak, Angelika; Galinski, Maciej; Stepniak, Izabela

    Properties of capacitors working with the same carbon electrodes (activated carbon cloth) and three types of electrolytes: aqueous, organic and ionic liquids were compared. Capacitors filled with ionic liquids worked at a potential difference of 3.5 V, their solutions in AN and PC were charged up to the potential difference of 3 V, classical organic systems to 2.5 V and aqueous to 1 V. Cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charging/discharging and impedance spectroscopy were used to characterize these capacitors. The highest specific energy was recorded for the device working with ionic liquids, while the highest power is characteristic for the device filled with aqueous H 2SO 4 electrolyte. Aqueous electrolytes led to energy density an order of magnitude lower in comparison to that characteristic of ionic liquids.

  6. Role of succinonitrile in improving ionic conductivity of sodium-ion conductive polymer electrolyte

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nair, Manjula G.; Mohapatra, Saumya R.

    2018-05-01

    Sodium ion conducting solid polymer electrolytes were prepared using poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) as polymer matrix, sodium perchlorate (NaClO4) as salt and succinonitrile (SN) as a plasticizer by solution casting technique. By blending a plastic crystal such as succinonitrile (SN) with PEO-NaClO4 electrolyte system, we aimed at improving the ionic conductivity by weakening the ether oxygen-Na+ interactions. The XRD and FTIR studies revealed structural and micro-structural changes in the blended electrolytes which aids in improving ionic conductivity. Also, DSC measurements showed improved segmental motion in the blended polymer electrolytes due to plasticizing effect of SN. The maximum ionic conductivity observed at room temperature is 1.13×10-5 S cm-1 merely for 7 wt. % of SN, which is one order higher than pure polymer-salt complex. The thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) suggests that blending of SN with polymer electrolyte had no detrimental effect on its thermal stability.

  7. Crystalline, Glassy and Polymeric Electrolytes:. Similarities and Differences in Ionic Transport Mechanisms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Souquet, Jean Louis

    2006-06-01

    Ionocovalent crystals or glasses as well as molten salts or salt polymer complexes are currently studied as electrolytes for high energy density batteries. Their large Red/Ox stability range results from their thermodynamic or kinetic characteristics. For all these electrolytes, charge carriers are the consequence of local deviations from electroneutrality, identified as point defects for ionic crystals or partial dissociation in disordered structures. The charge carriers formation derives from a similar activated process. The main difference comes from the migration process, which depends on the dynamic properties of the surrounding medium. When the structural relaxation time is large, an activated process, mainly enthalpic, prevails for charge carriers migration. It is the usual case for ionic crystals or glasses. In the liquid or overcooled liquid states, the structural relaxation time of the medium is shorter that the time required for the activated migration process to occur and a local reorganization of the medium vanishes the energy barrier and provides the free volume necessary to ionic migration. In that case, the migration is mainly an entropic process. The configurational entropy necessary to this process decreases with temperature and vanishes at the so called ideal glass transition temperature which can be estimated by extrapolation of the transport properties or of the thermodynamic characteristics of the medium. However, at the experiment time scale, this configurational entropy disappears at a somewhat higher temperature, the glass transition temperature at which the structural relaxation time corresponds to the measurement time. Some glass forming ionic melts studied in a large temperature scale, over and below the glass transition temperature, evidence the two, enthalpic and entropic, migration mechanisms, allowing the determination of the thermodynamic characteristics of the charge carriers formation and migration. Some recent results indicate

  8. Self-Assembled Polymeric Ionic Liquid-Functionalized Cellulose Nano-crystals: Constructing 3D Ion-conducting Channels Within Ionic Liquid-based Composite Polymer Electrolytes.

    PubMed

    Shi, Qing Xuan; Xia, Qing; Xiang, Xiao; Ye, Yun Sheng; Peng, Hai Yan; Xue, Zhi Gang; Xie, Xiao Lin; Mai, Yiu-Wing

    2017-09-04

    Composite polymeric and ionic liquid (IL) electrolytes are some of the most promising electrolyte systems for safer battery technology. Although much effort has been directed towards enhancing the transport properties of polymer electrolytes (PEs) through nanoscopic modification by incorporating nano-fillers, it is still difficult to construct ideal ion conducting networks. Here, a novel class of three-dimensional self-assembled polymeric ionic liquid (PIL)-functionalized cellulose nano-crystals (CNC) confining ILs in surface-grafted PIL polymer chains, able to form colloidal crystal polymer electrolytes (CCPE), is reported. The high-strength CNC nano-fibers, decorated with PIL polymer chains, can spontaneously form three-dimensional interpenetrating nano-network scaffolds capable of supporting electrolytes with continuously connected ion conducting networks with IL being concentrated in conducting domains. These new CCPE have exceptional ionic conductivities, low activation energies (close to bulk IL electrolyte with dissolved Li salt), high Li + transport numbers, low interface resistances and improved interface compatibilities. Furthermore, the CCPE displays good electrochemical properties and a good battery performance. This approach offers a route to leak-free, non-flammable and high ionic conductivity solid-state PE in energy conversion devices. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  9. Nano-sponge ionic liquid-polymer composite electrolytes for solid-state lithium power sources

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liao, Kang-Shyang; Sutto, Thomas E.; Andreoli, Enrico; Ajayan, Pulickel; McGrady, Karen A.; Curran, Seamus A.

    Solid polymer gel electrolytes composed of 75 wt.% of the ionic liquid, 1- n-butyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium bis-trifluoromethanesulfonylimide with 1.0 M lithium bis-trifluoromethanesulfonylimide and 25 wt.% poly(vinylidenedifluoro-hexafluoropropene) are characterized as the electrolyte/separator in solid-state lithium batteries. The ionic conductivity of these gels ranges from 1.5 to 2.0 mS cm -1, which is several orders of magnitude more conductive than any of the more commonly used solid polymers, and comparable to the best solid gel electrolytes currently used in industry. TGA indicates that these polymer gel electrolytes are thermally stable to over 280 °C, and do not begin to thermally decompose until over 300 °C; exhibiting a significant advancement in the safety of lithium batteries. Atomic force microscopy images of these solid thin films indicate that these polymer gel electrolytes have the structure of nano-sponges, with a sub-micron pore size. For these thin film batteries, 150 charge-discharge cycles are run for Li xCoO 2 where x is cycled between 0.95 down to 0.55. Minimal internal resistance effects are observed over the charging cycles, indicating the high ionic conductivity of the ionic liquid solid polymer gel electrolyte. The overall cell efficiency is approximately 98%, and no significant loss in battery efficiency is observed over the 150 cycles.

  10. Capacitance of Ti 3C 2T x MXene in Ionic Liquid Electrolyte

    DOE PAGES

    Lin, Zifeng; Barbara, Daffos; Taberna, Pierre-Louis; ...

    2016-04-14

    Ti 3C 2T x MXene, a two-dimensional (2D) early transition metal carbide, has shown an extremely high volumetric capacitance in aqueous electrolytes, but in a narrow voltage window (less than 1.23 V). The utilization of MXene materials in ionic liquid electrolytes with a large voltage window has never been addressed. Here, we report the preparation of the Ti 3C 2T x MXene ionogel film by vacuum filtration for use as supercapacitor electrodes operating in 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (EMI-TFSI) neat ionic liquid electrolyte. Due to the disordered structure of the Ti 3C 2T x hydrogel film and a stable spacing after vacuummore » drying, achieved through ionic liquid electrolyte immersion of the Ti 3C 2T x hydrogel film, the Ti 3C 2T x surface became accessible to EMI + and TFSI - ions. A capacitance of 70 F g -1 together with a large voltage window of 3 V was obtained at a scan rate of 20 mV s -1 in neat EMI-TFSI electrolyte. The electrochemical signature indicates a capacitive behavior even at a high scan rate (500 mV s -1) and a high power performance. This work opens up the possibilities of using MXene materials with various ionic liquid electrolytes.« less

  11. Thermal regeneration of an electrochemical concentration cell

    DOEpatents

    Krumpelt, M.; Bates, J.K.

    1980-05-09

    A system and method are described for thermally regenerating an electrochemical concentration cell having first and second aluminum electrodes respectively positioned in contact with first and second electrolytes separated by an ion exchange member, the first and second electrolytes being composed of different concentrations of an ionic solvent and a salt, preferably an aluminum halide. The ionic solvent may be either organic or inorganic with a relatively low melting point, the ionic solvent and the salt form a complex wherein the free energy of formation of said complex is less than about -5 kcal/mole. A distillation column using solar heat or low grade industrial waste heat receives the first and second electrolytes and thermally decomposes the salt-solvent complex to provide feed material for the two half cells.

  12. Solid electrolyte material manufacturable by polymer processing methods

    DOEpatents

    Singh, Mohit; Gur, Ilan; Eitouni, Hany Basam; Balsara, Nitash Pervez

    2012-09-18

    The present invention relates generally to electrolyte materials. According to an embodiment, the present invention provides for a solid polymer electrolyte material that is ionically conductive, mechanically robust, and can be formed into desirable shapes using conventional polymer processing methods. An exemplary polymer electrolyte material has an elastic modulus in excess of 1.times.10.sup.6 Pa at 90 degrees C. and is characterized by an ionic conductivity of at least 1.times.10.sup.-5 Scm-1 at 90 degrees C. An exemplary material can be characterized by a two domain or three domain material system. An exemplary material can include material components made of diblock polymers or triblock polymers. Many uses are contemplated for the solid polymer electrolyte materials. For example, the present invention can be applied to improve Li-based batteries by means of enabling higher energy density, better thermal and environmental stability, lower rates of self-discharge, enhanced safety, lower manufacturing costs, and novel form factors.

  13. Interconnected ionic domains enhance conductivity in microphase separated block copolymer electrolytes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Arges, Christopher G.; Kambe, Yu; Dolejsi, Moshe

    Block copolymer electrolytes (BCEs) represent an attractive choice as solid-state ionic conductors for electrochemical technologies used in energy storage and conversion, water treatment, sensors, and data storage and processing. Unlocking the maximum ionic conductivity of BCEs requires an intimate understanding as to how the microphase separated structure influences transport properties. However, elucidating such knowledge remains elusive due to the challenging task of precisely engineering BCEs with a defined structure in bulk materials. In this work, we examined BCEs in a thin film format because it was amenable to attaining BCEs with a desired nanostructure. Specifically, we systematically investigated anion-conducting BCEsmore » with different degrees of connectivity of the ionic domains. For the first time, we demonstrate that increasing terminal defects in the ionic domain from 1 terminal defect per mu m(2) to 20 terminal defects per mu m(2) ( a relatively small amount of defects) decreased ionic conductivity by 67% compared to the maximum value attained. Conversely, maximizing ionic domain connectivity increased the ionic conductivity by two-fold over a non-ordered BCE film. These experiments highlight that microphase separation alone was insufficient for ameliorating ionic conductivity in BCEs. Rather, microphase separation coupled with complete ionic domain connectivity realized BCEs with significantly enhanced ionic conductivity.« less

  14. Understanding transport mechanisms in ionic liquid/carbonate solvent electrolyte blends.

    PubMed

    Oldiges, K; Diddens, D; Ebrahiminia, M; Hooper, J B; Cekic-Laskovic, I; Heuer, A; Bedrov, D; Winter, M; Brunklaus, G

    2018-06-20

    To unravel mechanistic details of the ion transport in liquid electrolytes, blends of the ionic liquid (IL) 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (Pyr14TFSI), ethylene carbonate (EC) and dimethyl carbonate (DMC) with the conducting salts lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) and lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) were investigated as a function of the IL concentration. Electrochemical impedance, Pulsed Field Gradient Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (PFG NMR) and Raman spectroscopy supported by Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations allowed the structural and dynamic correlations of the ion motions to be probed. Remarkably, we identified that though the individual correlations among different ion types exhibit a clear concentration dependence, their net effect is nearly constant throughout the entire concentration range, resulting in approximately equal transport and transference numbers, despite a monitored cross-over from carbonate-based lithium coordination to a TFSI-based ion coordination. In addition, though dynamical ion correlation could be found, the absolute values of the ionic conductivity are essentially determined by the overall viscosity of the electrolyte. The IL/carbonate blends with a Pyr14TFSI fraction of ∼10 wt% are found to be promising electrolyte solvents, with ionic conductivities and lithium ion transference numbers comparable to those of standard carbonate-based electrolytes while the thermal and electrochemical stabilities are considerably improved. In contrast, the choice of the conducting salt only marginally affects the transport properties.

  15. Ionic liquids as electrolytes for Li-ion batteries-An overview of electrochemical studies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lewandowski, Andrzej; Świderska-Mocek, Agnieszka

    The paper reviews properties of room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) as electrolytes for lithium and lithium-ion batteries. It has been shown that the formation of the solid electrolyte interface (SEI) on the anode surface is critical to the correct operation of secondary lithium-ion batteries, including those working with ionic liquids as electrolytes. The SEI layer may be formed by electrochemical transformation of (i) a molecular additive, (ii) RTIL cations or (iii) RTIL anions. Such properties of RTIL electrolytes as viscosity, conductivity, vapour pressure and lithium-ion transport numbers are also discussed from the point of view of their influence on battery performance.

  16. Beneficial effect of added water on sodium metal cycling in super concentrated ionic liquid sodium electrolytes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Basile, Andrew; Ferdousi, Shammi A.; Makhlooghiazad, Faezeh; Yunis, Ruhamah; Hilder, Matthias; Forsyth, Maria; Howlett, Patrick C.

    2018-03-01

    The plating and stripping performance of sodium metal in an ionic liquid electrolyte is improved when including water as an additive. Herein we report for the first time the trend of improved cycling behavior of Na0/+ in N-methyl-N-propylpyrrolidinium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide with 500 ppm H2O. The addition of water to this ionic liquid electrolyte promotes the breakdown of the [FSI]- anion towards beneficial SEI formation. The benefits during plating and stripping of sodium is observed as lower total polarization during symmetrical cell cycling and decreased electrode/electrolyte interface impedance. Sodium metal surfaces after cycling with 500 ppm H2O are shown to be smooth in morphology in comparison to lower additive concentrations. The outcome of adventitious moisture benefiting Na0/+ cycling in an ionic liquid, contrary to conventional electrolytes, allows flexibility in ionic liquid electrolyte design to the benefit of battery manufacturers.

  17. Solid electrolytes for fluoride ion batteries: ionic conductivity in polycrystalline tysonite-type fluorides.

    PubMed

    Rongeat, Carine; Reddy, M Anji; Witter, Raiker; Fichtner, Maximilian

    2014-02-12

    Batteries based on a fluoride shuttle (fluoride ion battery, FIB) can theoretically provide high energy densities and can thus be considered as an interesting alternative to Li-ion batteries. Large improvements are still needed regarding their actual performance, in particular for the ionic conductivity of the solid electrolyte. At the current state of the art, two types of fluoride families can be considered for electrolyte applications: alkaline-earth fluorides having a fluorite-type structure and rare-earth fluorides having a tysonite-type structure. As regard to the latter, high ionic conductivities have been reported for doped LaF3 single crystals. However, polycrystalline materials would be easier to implement in a FIB due to practical reasons in the cell manufacturing. Hence, we have analyzed in detail the ionic conductivity of La(1-y)Ba(y)F(3-y) (0 ≤ y ≤ 0.15) solid solutions prepared by ball milling. The combination of DC and AC conductivity analyses provides a better understanding of the conduction mechanism in tysonite-type fluorides with a blocking effect of the grain boundaries. Heat treatment of the electrolyte material was performed and leads to an improvement of the ionic conductivity. This confirms the detrimental effect of grain boundaries and opens new route for the development of solid electrolytes for FIB with high ionic conductivities.

  18. Mesoscopic Framework Enables Facile Ionic Transport in Solid Electrolytes for Li Batteries

    DOE PAGES

    Ma, Cheng; Cheng, Yongqiang; Chen, Kai; ...

    2016-03-29

    In Li-ion-conducting solid electrolytes can simultaneously overcome two grand challenges for Li-ion batteries: the severe safety concerns that limit the large-scale application and the poor electrolyte stability that forbids the use of high-voltage cathodes. Nevertheless, the ionic conductivity of solid electrolytes is typically low, compromising the battery performances. Precisely determining the ionic transport mechanism(s) is a prerequisite for the rational design of highly conductive solid electrolytes. For decades, the research on this subject has primarily focused on the atomic and microscopic scales, where the main features of interest are unit cells and microstructures, respectively. We show that the largely overlookedmore » mesoscopic scale lying between these extremes could be the key to fast ionic conduction. In a prototype system, (Li 0.33La 0.56)TiO 3, a mesoscopic framework is revealed for the first time by state-of-the-art scanning transmission electron microscopy. Corroborated by theoretical calculations and impedance measurements, it is demonstrated that such a unique configuration maximizes the number of percolation directions and thus most effectively improves the ionic conductivity. Finally, this discovery reconciles the long-standing structure–property inconsistency in (Li 0.33La 0.56)TiO 3 and also identifies mesoscopic ordering as a promising general strategy for optimizing Li+ conduction.« less

  19. Vertically Aligned and Continuous Nanoscale Ceramic-Polymer Interfaces in Composite Solid Polymer Electrolytes for Enhanced Ionic Conductivity.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Xiaokun; Xie, Jin; Shi, Feifei; Lin, Dingchang; Liu, Yayuan; Liu, Wei; Pei, Allen; Gong, Yongji; Wang, Hongxia; Liu, Kai; Xiang, Yong; Cui, Yi

    2018-06-13

    Among all solid electrolytes, composite solid polymer electrolytes, comprised of polymer matrix and ceramic fillers, garner great interest due to the enhancement of ionic conductivity and mechanical properties derived from ceramic-polymer interactions. Here, we report a composite electrolyte with densely packed, vertically aligned, and continuous nanoscale ceramic-polymer interfaces, using surface-modified anodized aluminum oxide as the ceramic scaffold and poly(ethylene oxide) as the polymer matrix. The fast Li + transport along the ceramic-polymer interfaces was proven experimentally for the first time, and an interfacial ionic conductivity higher than 10 -3 S/cm at 0 °C was predicted. The presented composite solid electrolyte achieved an ionic conductivity as high as 5.82 × 10 -4 S/cm at the electrode level. The vertically aligned interfacial structure in the composite electrolytes enables the viable application of the composite solid electrolyte with superior ionic conductivity and high hardness, allowing Li-Li cells to be cycled at a small polarization without Li dendrite penetration.

  20. Eco-friendly Energy Storage System: Seawater and Ionic Liquid Electrolyte.

    PubMed

    Kim, Jae-Kwang; Mueller, Franziska; Kim, Hyojin; Jeong, Sangsik; Park, Jeong-Sun; Passerini, Stefano; Kim, Youngsik

    2016-01-08

    As existing battery technologies struggle to meet the requirements for widespread use in the field of large-scale energy storage, novel concepts are urgently needed concerning batteries that have high energy densities, low costs, and high levels of safety. Here, a novel eco-friendly energy storage system (ESS) using seawater and an ionic liquid is proposed for the first time; this represents an intermediate system between a battery and a fuel cell, and is accordingly referred to as a hybrid rechargeable cell. Compared to conventional organic electrolytes, the ionic liquid electrolyte significantly enhances the cycle performance of the seawater hybrid rechargeable system, acting as a very stable interface layer between the Sn-C (Na storage) anode and the NASICON (Na3 Zr2 Si2 PO12) ceramic solid electrolyte, making this system extremely promising for cost-efficient and environmentally friendly large-scale energy storage. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  1. Innovative Ionic Liquids: Electrolytes for Ion Power Sources

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-01-01

    imide–based ILs can function not only as the electrolyte in a conventional lithium ion battery , but also as a solid nanocomposite separator when...conductivity comparable to the pure ionic liquid. Figure 6 shows the charge-discharge behavior of the micro lithium ion battery created entirely by the

  2. Robust High-performance Dye-sensitized Solar Cells Based on Ionic Liquid-sulfolane Composite Electrolytes.

    PubMed

    Lau, Genevieve P S; Décoppet, Jean-David; Moehl, Thomas; Zakeeruddin, Shaik M; Grätzel, Michael; Dyson, Paul J

    2015-12-16

    Novel ionic liquid-sulfolane composite electrolytes based on the 1,2,3-triazolium family of ionic liquids were developed for dye-sensitized solar cells. The best performing device exhibited a short-circuit current density of 13.4 mA cm(-2), an open-circuit voltage of 713 mV and a fill factor of 0.65, corresponding to an overall power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 6.3%. In addition, these devices are highly stable, retaining more than 95% of the initial device PCE after 1000 hours of light- and heat-stress. These composite electrolytes show great promise for industrial application as they allow for a 14.5% improvement in PCE, compared to the solvent-free eutectic ionic liquid electrolyte system, without compromising device stability.

  3. Ionic liquids in lithium battery electrolytes: Composition versus safety and physical properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wilken, Susanne; Xiong, Shizhao; Scheers, Johan; Jacobsson, Per; Johansson, Patrik

    2015-02-01

    Ionic liquids have been highlighted as non-flammable, environmentally friendly, and suggested as possible solvents in lithium ion battery electrolytes. Here, the application of two ionic liquids from the EMIm-family in a state-of-the-art carbonate solvent based electrolyte is studied with a focus on safety improvement. The impact of the composition on physical and safety related properties is investigated for IL concentrations of additive (∼5 wt%) up to co-solvent concentrations (∼60 wt%). Furthermore, the role of the lithium salt concentration is separately addressed by studying a set of electrolytes at 0.5 M, 1 M, and 2 M LiPF6 concentrations. A large impact on the electrolyte properties is found for the electrolytes containing EMImTFSI and high salt concentrations. The composition 2 M LiPF6 EC:DEC:IL (1:1:3 wt%) is found non-flammable for both choices of ILs added. The macroscopic observations are complemented by a Raman spectroscopy analysis whereby a change in the Li+ solvation is detected for IL concentrations >4.5 mol%.

  4. Solid electrolyte oxygen regeneration system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shumar, J. W.; See, G. G.; Schubert, F. H.; Powell, J. D.

    1976-01-01

    A program to design, develop, fabricate and assemble a one-man, self-contained, solid electrolyte oxygen regeneration system (SX-1) incorporating solid electrolyte electrolyzer drums was completed. The SX-1 is a preprototype engineering model designed to produce 0.952 kg (2.1 lb)/day of breathable oxygen (O2) from the electrolysis of metabolic carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapor. The CO2 supply rate was established based on the metabolic CO2 generation rate for one man of 0.998 kg (2.2 lb)/day. The water supply rate (0.254 kg (0.56 lb)/day) was designed to be sufficient to make up the difference between the 0.952 kg (2.1 lb)/day O2 generation specification and the O2 available through CO2 electrolysis, 0.726 kg (1.6 lb)/day. The SX-1 was successfully designed, fabricated and assembled. Design verification tests (DVT) or the CO Disproportionators, H2 separators, control instrumentation, monitor instrumentation, water feed mechanism were successfully completed. The erratic occurrence of electrolyzer drum leakage prevented the completion of the CO2 electrolyzer module and water electrolyzer module DVT's and also prevented the performance of SX-1 integrated testing. Further development work is required to improve the solid electrolyte cell high temperature seals.

  5. High ionic conductivity P(VDF-TrFE)/PEO blended polymer electrolytes for solid electrochromic devices.

    PubMed

    Nguyen, Chien A; Xiong, Shanxin; Ma, Jan; Lu, Xuehong; Lee, Pooi See

    2011-08-07

    Solid polymer electrolytes with excellent ionic conductivity (above 10(-4) S cm(-1)), which result in high optical modulation for solid electrochromic (EC) devices are presented. The combination of a polar host matrix poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) P(VDF-TrFE) and a solid plasticized of a low molecular weight poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) (M(w)≤ 20,000) blended polymer electrolyte serves to enhance both the dissolution of lithium salt and the ionic transport. Calorimetric measurement shows a reduced crystallization due to a better intermixing of the polymers with small molecular weight PEO. Vibrational spectroscopy identifies the presence of free ions and ion pairs in the electrolytes with PEO of M(w)≤ 8000. The ionic dissolution is improved using PEO as a plasticizer when compared to liquid propylene carbonate, evidently shown in the transference number analysis. Ionic transport follows the Arrhenius equation with a low activation energy (0.16-0.2 eV), leading to high ionic conductivities. Solid electrochromic devices fabricated with the blended P(VDF-TrFE)/PEO electrolytes and polyaniline show good spectroelectrochemical performance in the visible (300-800 nm) and near-infrared (0.9-2.4 μm) regions with a modulation up to 60% and fast switching speed of below 20 seconds. The successful introduction of the solid polymer electrolytes with its best harnessed qualities helps to expedite the application of various electrochemical devices. This journal is © the Owner Societies 2011

  6. An advanced lithium-air battery exploiting an ionic liquid-based electrolyte.

    PubMed

    Elia, G A; Hassoun, J; Kwak, W-J; Sun, Y-K; Scrosati, B; Mueller, F; Bresser, D; Passerini, S; Oberhumer, P; Tsiouvaras, N; Reiter, J

    2014-11-12

    A novel lithium-oxygen battery exploiting PYR14TFSI-LiTFSI as ionic liquid-based electrolyte medium is reported. The Li/PYR14TFSI-LiTFSI/O2 battery was fully characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, capacity-limited cycling, field emission scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results of this extensive study demonstrate that this new Li/O2 cell is characterized by a stable electrode-electrolyte interface and a highly reversible charge-discharge cycling behavior. Most remarkably, the charge process (oxygen oxidation reaction) is characterized by a very low overvoltage, enhancing the energy efficiency to 82%, thus, addressing one of the most critical issues preventing the practical application of lithium-oxygen batteries.

  7. Dopamine-Mediated Sclerotization of Regenerated Chitin in Ionic Liquid

    PubMed Central

    Oh, Dongyeop X.; Shin, Sara; Lim, Chanoong; Hwang, Dong Soo

    2013-01-01

    Chitin is a promising structural material for biomedical applications, due to its many advantageous properties and abundance in nature. However, its usage and development in the biomedical field have been stagnant, because of chitin’s poor mechanical properties in wet conditions and the difficulties in transforming it into an applicable form. To overcome these challenges, we created a novel biomimetic chitin composite. This regenerated chitin, prepared with ionic liquid, showed improved mechanical properties in wet conditions by mimicking insect cuticle and squid beak sclerotization, i.e., catechol-meditated cross-linking. By ionic liquid-based heat treatment, dopamine oxidation produced melanin-like compounds and dopamine-meditated cross-links without any solvent evaporation and oxidant utilization. The dopamine-meditated sclerotization increased the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of the regenerated chitin by 2.52-fold, measured after six weeks of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) submersion. In addition, the linear swelling ratio (LSR) of the chitin film was reduced by about 22%. This strategy raises a possibility of using regenerated chitin as an artificial hard tissue in wet conditions. PMID:28788308

  8. Dopamine-Mediated Sclerotization of Regenerated Chitin in Ionic Liquid.

    PubMed

    Oh, Dongyeop X; Shin, Sara; Lim, Chanoong; Hwang, Dong Soo

    2013-09-06

    Chitin is a promising structural material for biomedical applications, due to its many advantageous properties and abundance in nature. However, its usage and development in the biomedical field have been stagnant, because of chitin's poor mechanical properties in wet conditions and the difficulties in transforming it into an applicable form. To overcome these challenges, we created a novel biomimetic chitin composite. This regenerated chitin, prepared with ionic liquid, showed improved mechanical properties in wet conditions by mimicking insect cuticle and squid beak sclerotization, i.e. , catechol-meditated cross-linking. By ionic liquid-based heat treatment, dopamine oxidation produced melanin-like compounds and dopamine-meditated cross-links without any solvent evaporation and oxidant utilization. The dopamine-meditated sclerotization increased the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of the regenerated chitin by 2.52-fold, measured after six weeks of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) submersion. In addition, the linear swelling ratio (LSR) of the chitin film was reduced by about 22%. This strategy raises a possibility of using regenerated chitin as an artificial hard tissue in wet conditions.

  9. Metal-air cell comprising an electrolyte with a room temperature ionic liquid and hygroscopic additive

    DOEpatents

    Friesen, Cody A.; Krishnan, Ramkumar; Tang, Toni; Wolfe, Derek

    2014-08-19

    An electrochemical cell comprising an electrolyte comprising water and a hydrophobic ionic liquid comprising positive ions and negative ions. The electrochemical cell also includes an air electrode configured to absorb and reduce oxygen. A hydrophilic or hygroscopic additive modulates the hydrophobicity of the ionic liquid to maintain a concentration of the water in the electrolyte is between 0.001 mol % and 25 mol %.

  10. Molecular dynamics simulation of polymer electrolytes based on poly(ethylene oxide) and ionic liquids. I. Structural properties.

    PubMed

    Costa, Luciano T; Ribeiro, Mauro C C

    2006-05-14

    Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have been performed for prototype models of polymer electrolytes in which the salt is an ionic liquid based on 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium cations and the polymer is poly(ethylene oxide), PEO. The MD simulations were performed by combining the previously proposed models for pure ionic liquids and polymer electrolytes containing simple inorganic ions. A systematic investigation of ionic liquid concentration, temperature, and the 1-alkyl- chain length, [1,3-dimethylimidazolium]PF6, and [1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium]PF6, effects on resulting equilibrium structure is provided. It is shown that the ionic liquid is dispersed in the polymeric matrix, but ionic pairs remain in the polymer electrolyte. Imidazolium cations are coordinated by both the anions and the oxygen atoms of PEO chains. Probability density maps of occurrences of nearest neighbors around imidazolium cations give a detailed physical picture of the environment experienced by cations. Conformational changes on PEO chains upon addition of the ionic liquid are identified. The equilibrium structure of simulated systems is also analyzed in reciprocal space by using the static structure factor, S(k). Calculated S(k) display a low wave-vector peak, indicating that spatial correlation in an extended-range order prevail in the ionic liquid polymer electrolytes. Long-range correlations are assigned to nonuniform distribution of ionic species within the simulation box.

  11. Ion Transport and Structural Properties of Polymeric Electrolytes and Ionic Liquids from Molecular Dynamics Simulations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Borodin, Oleg

    2010-03-01

    Molecular dynamics simulations are well suited for exploring electrolyte structure and ion transport mechanisms on the nanometer length scale and the nanosecond time scales. In this presentation we will describe how MD simulations assist in answering fundamental questions about the lithium transport mechanisms in polymeric electrolytes and ionic liquids. In particular, in the first part of the presentation the extent of ion aggregation, the structure of ion aggregates and the lithium cation diffusion in binary polymeric electrolytes will be compared with that of single-ion conducting polymers. In the second part of the talk, the lithium transport in polymeric electrolytes will be compared with that of three ionic liquids ( [emim][FSI] doped with LiFSI , [pyr13][FSI] doped with LiFSI, [emim][BF4] doped with LiBF4). The relation between ionic liquid self-diffusion, conductivity and thermodynamic properties will be discussed in details. A number of correlations between heat of vaporization Hvap, cation-anion binding energy (E+/-), molar volume (Vm), self-diffusion coefficient (D) and ionic conductivity for 29 ionic liquids have been investigated using MD simulations. A significant correlation between D and Hvap has been found, while best correlation was found for -log((D Vm)) vs. Hvap+0.28E+/-. A combination of enthalpy of vaporization and a fraction of the cation-anion binding energy was suggested as a measure of the effective cohesive energy for ionic liquids.

  12. Self-regenerating column chromatography

    DOEpatents

    Park, Woo K.

    1995-05-30

    The present invention provides a process for treating both cations and anions by using a self-regenerating, multi-ionic exchange resin column system which requires no separate regeneration steps. The process involves alternating ion-exchange chromatography for cations and anions in a multi-ionic exchange column packed with a mixture of cation and anion exchange resins. The multi-ionic mixed-charge resin column works as a multi-function column, capable of independently processing either cationic or anionic exchange, or simultaneously processing both cationic and anionic exchanges. The major advantage offered by the alternating multi-function ion exchange process is the self-regeneration of the resins.

  13. Application of nonflammable electrolyte with room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) for lithium-ion cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nakagawa, Hiroe; Fujino, Yukiko; Kozono, Suguru; Katayama, Yoshihiro; Nukuda, Toshiyuki; Sakaebe, Hikari; Matsumoto, Hajime; Tatsumi, Kuniaki

    A mixture of flammable organic solvent and nonflammable room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) has been investigated as a new concept electrolyte to improve the safety of lithium-ion cells. This study focused on the use of N-methyl- N-propylpiperidinium bis (trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide (PP13-TFSI) as the RTIL for the flame-retardant additive. It was found that a carbon negative electrode, both graphite and hard carbon, could be used with the mixed electrolyte. A 383562-size lithium-ion trial cell made with the mixed electrolyte showed good discharge capacity, which was equivalent to a cell with conventional organic electrolyte up to a discharge current rate of complete discharge in 1 h. Moreover, the mixed electrolyte was observed to be nonflammable at ionic liquid contents of 40 mass% or more. Thus the mixed electrolyte was found to realize both nonflammability and the good discharge performance of lithium-ion cells with carbon negative electrodes. These results indicate that RTILs have potential as a flame-retardant additive for the organic electrolytes used in lithium-ion cells.

  14. Highly Safe Ionic Liquid Electrolytes for Sodium-Ion Battery: Wide Electrochemical Window and Good Thermal Stability.

    PubMed

    Wu, Feng; Zhu, Na; Bai, Ying; Liu, Libin; Zhou, Hang; Wu, Chuan

    2016-08-24

    Novel ionic liquid (IL) electrolytes are prepared by mixing 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium-bis-tetrafluoroborate (EMIBF4) with different concentrations of sodium salt (NaBF4). The as-prepared IL electrolytes display wide electrochemical windows of ∼4 V (1-5 V), which are consistent with the quantum chemical theoretical calculation. The IL electrolyte with 0.1 M NaBF4 shows excellent ionic conductivity, namely, 9.833 × 10(-3) S cm(-1) at 20 °C. In addition, nonflammability and good thermal stability are exhibited by combustion test and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), which indicate the high safety of the IL electrolyte.

  15. A Water Dissolvable Electrolyte with an Ionic Liquid for Eco-Friendly Electronics.

    PubMed

    Yamada, Shunsuke; Toshiyoshi, Hiroshi

    2018-06-21

    A water-dissolvable electrolyte is developed by combining an ionic liquid (IL) with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), which decays over time by contact with water. An IL generally consists of two species of ions (anion and cation), and forms an electrical double layer (EDL) of a large electrostatic capacitance due to the ions accumulated in the vicinity of a conductive electrode when voltage is applied. In a similar manner, the ionic gel developed in this work forms an EDL due to the ions suspended in the conjugated polymer network while maintaining the gel form. Test measurements show a large capacitance of 13 µF cm -2 within the potential window of the IL. The ionic gel shows an electrical conductance of 20 µS cm -1 due to the ionic conduction, which depends on the weight ratio of the IL with respect to the polymer. The developed ionic gel dissolves into water in 16 h. Potential application includes the electrolyte in disposable electronics such as distributed sensors and energy harvesters that are supposed to be harmless to environment. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  16. Molecular dynamics simulation of polymer electrolytes based on poly(ethylene oxide) and ionic liquids. II. Dynamical properties.

    PubMed

    Costa, Luciano T; Ribeiro, Mauro C C

    2007-10-28

    Dynamical properties of polymer electrolytes based on poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and ionic liquids of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium cations were calculated by molecular dynamics simulations with previously proposed models [L. T. Costa and M. C. Ribeiro, J. Chem. Phys. 124, 184902 (2006)]. The effect of changing the ionic liquid concentration, temperature, and the 1-alkyl-chain lengths, [1,3-dimethylimidazolium]PF(6) and [1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium]PF(6) ([dmim]PF(6) and [bmim]PF(6)), was investigated. Cation diffusion coefficient is higher than those of anion and oxygen atoms of PEO chains. Ionic mobility in PEO[bmim]PF(6) is higher than in PEO[dmim]PF(6), so that the ionic conductivity kappa of the former is approximately ten times larger than the latter. The ratio between kappa and its estimate from the Nernst-Einstein equation kappa/kappa(NE), which is inversely proportional to the strength of ion pairs, is higher in ionic liquid polymer electrolytes than in polymer electrolytes based on inorganic salts with Li(+) cations. Calculated time correlation functions corroborate previous evidence from the analysis of equilibrium structure that the ion pairs in ionic liquid polymer electrolytes are relatively weak. Structural relaxation at distinct spatial scales is revealed by the calculation of the intermediate scattering function at different wavevectors. These data are reproduced with stretched exponential functions, so that temperature and wavevector dependences of best fit parameters can be compared with corresponding results for polymer electrolytes containing simpler ions.

  17. A Silica-Aerogel-Reinforced Composite Polymer Electrolyte with High Ionic Conductivity and High Modulus.

    PubMed

    Lin, Dingchang; Yuen, Pak Yan; Liu, Yayuan; Liu, Wei; Liu, Nian; Dauskardt, Reinhold H; Cui, Yi

    2018-06-25

    High-energy all-solid-state lithium (Li) batteries have great potential as next-generation energy-storage devices. Among all choices of electrolytes, polymer-based systems have attracted widespread attention due to their low density, low cost, and excellent processability. However, they are generally mechanically too weak to effectively suppress Li dendrites and have lower ionic conductivity for reasonable kinetics at ambient temperature. Herein, an ultrastrong reinforced composite polymer electrolyte (CPE) is successfully designed and fabricated by introducing a stiff mesoporous SiO 2 aerogel as the backbone for a polymer-based electrolyte. The interconnected SiO 2 aerogel not only performs as a strong backbone strengthening the whole composite, but also offers large and continuous surfaces for strong anion adsorption, which produces a highly conductive pathway across the composite. As a consequence, a high modulus of ≈0.43 GPa and high ionic conductivity of ≈0.6 mS cm -1 at 30 °C are simultaneously achieved. Furthermore, LiFePO 4 -Li full cells with good cyclability and rate capability at ambient temperature are obtained. Full cells with cathode capacity up to 2.1 mAh cm -2 are also demonstrated. The aerogel-reinforced CPE represents a new design principle for solid-state electrolytes and offers opportunities for future all-solid-state Li batteries. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  18. Li-Doped Ionic Liquid Electrolytes: From Bulk Phase to Interfacial Behavior

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Haskins, Justin B.; Lawson, John W.

    2016-01-01

    Ionic liquids have been proposed as candidate electrolytes for high-energy density, rechargeable batteries. We present an extensive computational analysis supported by experimental comparisons of the bulk and interfacial properties of a representative set of these electrolytes as a function of Li-salt doping. We begin by investigating the bulk electrolyte using quantum chemistry and ab initio molecular dynamics to elucidate the solvation structure of Li(+). MD simulations using the polarizable force field of Borodin and coworkers were then performed, from which we obtain an array of thermodynamic and transport properties. Excellent agreement is found with experiments for diffusion, ionic conductivity, and viscosity. Combining MD simulations with electronic structure computations, we computed the electrochemical window of the electrolytes across a range of Li(+)-doping levels and comment on the role of the liquid environment. Finally, we performed a suite of simulations of these Li-doped electrolytes at ideal electrified interfaces to evaluate the differential capacitance and the equilibrium Li(+) distribution in the double layer. The magnitude of differential capacitance is in good agreement with our experiments and exhibits the characteristic camel-shaped profile. In addition, the simulations reveal Li(+) to be highly localized to the second molecular layer of the double layer, which is supported by additional computations that find this layer to be a free energy minimum with respect to Li(+) translation.

  19. Ionic liquids behave as dilute electrolyte solutions

    PubMed Central

    Gebbie, Matthew A.; Valtiner, Markus; Banquy, Xavier; Fox, Eric T.; Henderson, Wesley A.; Israelachvili, Jacob N.

    2013-01-01

    We combine direct surface force measurements with thermodynamic arguments to demonstrate that pure ionic liquids are expected to behave as dilute weak electrolyte solutions, with typical effective dissociated ion concentrations of less than 0.1% at room temperature. We performed equilibrium force–distance measurements across the common ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide ([C4mim][NTf2]) using a surface forces apparatus with in situ electrochemical control and quantitatively modeled these measurements using the van der Waals and electrostatic double-layer forces of the Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek theory with an additive repulsive steric (entropic) ion–surface binding force. Our results indicate that ionic liquids screen charged surfaces through the formation of both bound (Stern) and diffuse electric double layers, where the diffuse double layer is comprised of effectively dissociated ionic liquid ions. Additionally, we used the energetics of thermally dissociating ions in a dielectric medium to quantitatively predict the equilibrium for the effective dissociation reaction of [C4mim][NTf2] ions, in excellent agreement with the measured Debye length. Our results clearly demonstrate that, outside of the bound double layer, most of the ions in [C4mim][NTf2] are not effectively dissociated and thus do not contribute to electrostatic screening. We also provide a general, molecular-scale framework for designing ionic liquids with significantly increased dissociated charge densities via judiciously balancing ion pair interactions with bulk dielectric properties. Our results clear up several inconsistencies that have hampered scientific progress in this important area and guide the rational design of unique, high–free-ion density ionic liquids and ionic liquid blends. PMID:23716690

  20. Synthesis of Ionic Liquid Based Electrolytes, Assembly of Li-ion Batteries, and Measurements of Performance at High Temperature.

    PubMed

    Lin, Xinrong; Chapman Varela, Jennifer; Grinstaff, Mark W

    2016-12-20

    The chemical instability of the traditional electrolyte remains a safety issue in widely used energy storage devices such as Li-ion batteries. Li-ion batteries for use in devices operating at elevated temperatures require thermally stable and non-flammable electrolytes. Ionic liquids (ILs), which are non-flammable, non-volatile, thermally stable molten salts, are an ideal replacement for flammable and low boiling point organic solvent electrolytes currently used today. We herein describe the procedures to: 1) synthesize mono- and di-phosphonium ionic liquids paired with chloride or bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide (TFSI) anions; 2) measure the thermal properties and stability of these ionic liquids by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA); 3) measure the electrochemical properties of the ionic liquids by cyclic voltammetry (CV); 4) prepare electrolytes containing lithium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonamide; 5) measure the conductivity of the electrolytes as a function of temperature; 6) assemble a coin cell battery with two of the electrolytes along with a Li metal anode and LiCoO2 cathode; and 7) evaluate battery performance at 100 °C. We additionally describe the challenges in execution as well as the insights gained from performing these experiments.

  1. Ionic liquid electrolytes for Li-air batteries: lithium metal cycling.

    PubMed

    Grande, Lorenzo; Paillard, Elie; Kim, Guk-Tae; Monaco, Simone; Passerini, Stefano

    2014-05-08

    In this work, the electrochemical stability and lithium plating/stripping performance of N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (Pyr14TFSI) are reported, by investigating the behavior of Li metal electrodes in symmetrical Li/electrolyte/Li cells. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements and galvanostatic cycling at different temperatures are performed to analyze the influence of temperature on the stabilization of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), showing that TFSI-based ionic liquids (ILs) rank among the best candidates for long-lasting Li-air cells.

  2. Efficient and Stable Photovoltaic Characteristics of Quasi-Solid State DSSC using Polymer Gel Electrolyte Based on Ionic Liquid in Organosiloxane Polymer Gels

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pujiarti, H.; Arsyad, W. S.; Shobih; Muliani, L.; Hidayat, R.

    2018-04-01

    Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell (DSSC) is still one of the promising solar cell types among the third generation of solar cells because of easiness of fabrication and variety of available materials. In this type of solar cell, the electrolyte is one of the important components for regenerating excited dyes and transporting electric charge carriers to the counter electrode. Indeed, the power conversion efficiency of DSSC can be then significantly affected by the chemical and physical properties of the electrolyte. The simplest electrolyte system of an I-/I3 - redox couple in an organic solvent, however, has some drawbacks due to corrosive properties, volatile and leakage problem. Use of solid phase or gel phase electrolyte may overcome those problems, but it is often considered to suppress the efficiency due to low ion diffusion. Here, we report the photovoltaic characteristics of DSSC using polymer gel electrolyte (PGE), which is composed of ionic liquid and an organosiloxane polymer gel. The better cell performance with power conversion efficiency of about 6% has been obtained by optimizing the mesoporous size of the TiO2 layer and the PGE viscosity.

  3. Synthesis of new solid polymer electrolyte and actuator based on PEDOT/NBR/ionic liquid

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cho, M. S.; Seo, H. J.; Nam, J. D.; Choi, H. R.; Koo, J. C.; Lee, Y.

    2006-03-01

    The conducting polymer actuator was presented. The solid polymer electrolyte based on nitrile rubber (NBR) activated with different ionic liquids was prepared. The three different grades of NBR films were synthesized by emulsion polymerization with different amount of acrylonitrile, 23, 35, and 40 mol. %, respectively. The effect of acrylonitrile content on the ionic conductivity and dielectric constant of solid polymer electrolytes was characterized. A conducting polymer, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), was synthesized on the surface of the NBR layer by using a chemical oxidation polymerization technique, and room temperature ionic liquids (RTIL) based on imidazolium salts, e.g. 1-butyl-3-methyl imidazolium X [where X= BF 4 -, PF 6 -, (CF 3SO II) IIN -], were absorbed into the composite film. The effects of the anion size of the ionic liquids on the displacement of the actuator were examined. The displacement increased with increasing the anion-size of the ionic liquids.

  4. Formulation of Ionic-Liquid Electrolyte To Expand the Voltage Window of Supercapacitors

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Van Aken, Katherine L.; Beidaghi, Majid; Gogotsi, Yury

    An effective method to expand the operating potential window (OPW) of electrochemical capacitors based on formulating the ionic-liquid (IL) electrolytes is reported. Using model electrochemical cells based on two identical onion-like carbon (OLC) electrodes and two different IL electrolytes and their mixtures, it was shown that the asymmetric behavior of the electrolyte cation and anion toward the two electrodes limits the OPW of the cell and therefore its energy density. Also, a general solution to this problem is proposed by formulating the IL electrolyte mixtures to balance the capacitance of electrodes in a symmetric supercapacitor.

  5. Ionic Liquid Electrolytes for Li–Air Batteries: Lithium Metal Cycling

    PubMed Central

    Grande, Lorenzo; Paillard, Elie; Kim, Guk-Tae; Monaco, Simone; Passerini, Stefano

    2014-01-01

    In this work, the electrochemical stability and lithium plating/stripping performance of N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (Pyr14TFSI) are reported, by investigating the behavior of Li metal electrodes in symmetrical Li/electrolyte/Li cells. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements and galvanostatic cycling at different temperatures are performed to analyze the influence of temperature on the stabilization of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), showing that TFSI-based ionic liquids (ILs) rank among the best candidates for long-lasting Li–air cells. PMID:24815072

  6. Ultraflexible and tailorable all-solid-state supercapacitors using polyacrylamide-based hydrogel electrolyte with high ionic conductivity.

    PubMed

    Li, Huili; Lv, Tian; Li, Ning; Yao, Yao; Liu, Kai; Chen, Tao

    2017-11-30

    Hydrogels with high ionic conductivity consisting of a cross-linked polymer network swollen in water are very promising to be used as an electrolyte for all-solid-state supercapacitors. However, there are rather few flexible supercapacitors using ionic conducting hydrogel electrolytes reported to date. In this work, highly flexible and ionic conducting polyacrylamide hydrogels were synthesized through a simple approach. On using the ionic hydrogels as the electrolyte, the resulting supercapacitors not only exhibited a high specific capacitance but also showed a long self-discharge time (over 10 hours to the half of original open-circuit voltage) and a low leakage current. These newly-developed all-solid-state supercapacitors can be bent, knot, and kneaded for 5000 cycles without performance decay, suggesting excellent flexibility and mechanical stability. These all-solid-state supercapacitors can also be easily tailored into strip-like supercapacitors without a short circuit, which provides an efficient approach to fabricate wearable energy storage devices.

  7. Morphology control of zinc regeneration for zinc-air fuel cell and battery

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Keliang; Pei, Pucheng; Ma, Ze; Xu, Huachi; Li, Pengcheng; Wang, Xizhong

    2014-12-01

    Morphology control is crucial both for zinc-air batteries and for zinc-air fuel cells during zinc regeneration. Zinc dendrite should be avoided in zinc-air batteries and zinc pellets are yearned to be formed for zinc-air fuel cells. This paper is mainly to analyze the mechanism of shape change and to control the zinc morphology during charge. A numerical three-dimensional model for zinc regeneration is established with COMSOL software on the basis of ionic transport theory and electrode reaction electrochemistry, and some experiments of zinc regeneration are carried out. The deposition process is qualitatively analyzed by the kinetics Monte Carlo method to study the morphological change from the electrocrystallization point of view. Morphological evolution of deposited zinc under different conditions of direct currents and pulse currents is also investigated by simulation. The simulation shows that parametric variables of the flowing electrolyte, the surface roughness and the structure of the electrode, the charging current and mode affect morphological evolution. The uniform morphology of deposited zinc is attained at low current, pulsating current or hydrodynamic electrolyte, and granular morphology is obtained by means of an electrode of discrete columnar structure in combination with high current and flowing electrolyte.

  8. Lunar Oxygen Production and Metals Extraction Using Ionic Liquids

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Marone, Matthew; Paley, Mark Steven; Donovan, David N.; Karr, Laurel J.

    2009-01-01

    Initial results indicate that ionic liquids are promising media for the extraction of oxygen from lunar regolith. IL acid systems can solubilize regolith and produce water with high efficiency. IL electrolytes are effective for water electrolysis, and the spent IL acid media are capable of regeneration.

  9. Biocompatible ionic liquid-biopolymer electrolyte-enabled thin and compact magnesium-air batteries.

    PubMed

    Jia, Xiaoteng; Yang, Yang; Wang, Caiyun; Zhao, Chen; Vijayaraghavan, R; MacFarlane, Douglas R; Forsyth, Maria; Wallace, Gordon G

    2014-12-10

    With the surge of interest in miniaturized implanted medical devices (IMDs), implantable power sources with small dimensions and biocompatibility are in high demand. Implanted battery/supercapacitor devices are commonly packaged within a case that occupies a large volume, making miniaturization difficult. In this study, we demonstrate a polymer electrolyte-enabled biocompatible magnesium-air battery device with a total thickness of approximately 300 μm. It consists of a biocompatible polypyrrole-para(toluene sulfonic acid) cathode and a bioresorbable magnesium alloy anode. The biocompatible electrolyte used is made of choline nitrate (ionic liquid) embedded in a biopolymer, chitosan. This polymer electrolyte is mechanically robust and offers a high ionic conductivity of 8.9 × 10(-3) S cm(-1). The assembled battery delivers a maximum volumetric power density of 3.9 W L(-1), which is sufficient to drive some types of IMDs, such as cardiac pacemakers or biomonitoring systems. This miniaturized, biocompatible magnesium-air battery may pave the way to a future generation of implantable power sources.

  10. Computational and experimental characterization of a pyrrolidinium-based ionic liquid for electrolyte applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Torabifard, Hedieh; Reed, Luke; Berry, Matthew T.; Hein, Jason E.; Menke, Erik; Cisneros, G. Andrés

    2017-10-01

    The development of Li-ion batteries for energy storage has received significant attention. The synthesis and characterization of electrolytes in these batteries are an important component of this development. Ionic liquids (ILs) have been proposed as possible electrolytes in these devices. Thus, the accurate determination of thermophysical properties for these solvents becomes important for determining their applicability as electrolytes. In this contribution, we present the synthesis and experimental/computational characterization of thermodynamic and transport properties of a pyrrolidinium based ionic liquid as a first step to investigate the possible applicability of this class of ILs for Li-ion batteries. A quantum mechanical-based force field with many-body polarizable interactions has been developed for the simulation of spirocyclic pyrrolidinium, [sPyr+], with BF4- and Li+. Molecular dynamics calculations employing intra-molecular polarization predicted larger heat of vaporization and self-diffusion coefficients and smaller densities in comparison with the model without intra-molecular polarization, indicating that the inclusion of this term can significantly effect the inter-ionic interactions. The calculated properties are in good agreement with available experimental data for similar IL pairs and isothermal titration calorimetry data for [sPyr+][BF4-].

  11. Spontaneous Ionic Polarization in Ammonia-Based Ionic Liquid [Spontaneous Ionic Polarization in Ionic Liquid

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kim, Ki-jeong; Yuan, Hongtao; Jang, Hoyoung

    Ionic liquids and gels have attracted attention for a variety of energy storage applications, as well as for high performance electrolytes for batteries and super-capacitors. Although the electronic structure of ionic electrolytes in these applications is of practical importance for device design and improved performance, the understanding of the electronic structure of ionic liquids and gels is still at an early stage. Here we report soft x-ray spectroscopic measurements of the surface electronic structure of a representative ammonia-based ionic gel (DEME-TFSI with PSPMMA- PS copolymer). We observe that near the outermost surface, the area of the anion peak (1s Nmore » - core level in TFSI) is relatively larger than that of the cation peak (N + in DEME). This spontaneous ionic polarization of the electrolyte surface, which is absent for the pure ionic liquid without copolymer, can be directly tuned by the copolymer content in the ionic gel, and further results in a modulation in work function. Finally, these results shed new light on the control of surface electronic properties of ionic electrolytes, as well as a difference between their implementation in ionic liquids and gels.« less

  12. Spontaneous Ionic Polarization in Ammonia-Based Ionic Liquid [Spontaneous Ionic Polarization in Ionic Liquid

    DOE PAGES

    Kim, Ki-jeong; Yuan, Hongtao; Jang, Hoyoung; ...

    2018-05-24

    Ionic liquids and gels have attracted attention for a variety of energy storage applications, as well as for high performance electrolytes for batteries and super-capacitors. Although the electronic structure of ionic electrolytes in these applications is of practical importance for device design and improved performance, the understanding of the electronic structure of ionic liquids and gels is still at an early stage. Here we report soft x-ray spectroscopic measurements of the surface electronic structure of a representative ammonia-based ionic gel (DEME-TFSI with PSPMMA- PS copolymer). We observe that near the outermost surface, the area of the anion peak (1s Nmore » - core level in TFSI) is relatively larger than that of the cation peak (N + in DEME). This spontaneous ionic polarization of the electrolyte surface, which is absent for the pure ionic liquid without copolymer, can be directly tuned by the copolymer content in the ionic gel, and further results in a modulation in work function. Finally, these results shed new light on the control of surface electronic properties of ionic electrolytes, as well as a difference between their implementation in ionic liquids and gels.« less

  13. Comparing Triflate and Hexafluorophosphate Anions of Ionic Liquids in Polymer Electrolytes for Supercapacitor Applications.

    PubMed

    Liew, Chiam-Wen; Ramesh, S

    2014-05-21

    Two different ionic liquid-based biopolymer electrolyte systems were prepared using a solution casting technique. Corn starch and lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF₆) were employed as polymer and salt, respectively. Additionally, two different counteranions of ionic liquids, viz. 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BmImPF₆) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate (also known as 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium triflate) (BmImTf) were used and studied in this present work. The maximum ionic conductivities of (1.47 ± 0.02) × 10 -4 and (3.21 ± 0.01) × 10 -4 S∙cm -1 were achieved with adulteration of 50 wt% of BmImPF₆ and 80 wt% of BmImTf, respectively at ambient temperature. Activated carbon-based electrodes were prepared and used in supercapacitor fabrication. Supercapacitors were then assembled using the most conducting polymer electrolyte from each system. The electrochemical properties of the supercapacitors were then analyzed. The supercapacitor containing the triflate-based biopolymer electrolyte depicted a higher specific capacitance with a wider electrochemical stability window compared to that of the hexafluorophosphate system.

  14. Comparing Triflate and Hexafluorophosphate Anions of Ionic Liquids in Polymer Electrolytes for Supercapacitor Applications

    PubMed Central

    Liew, Chiam-Wen; Ramesh, S.

    2014-01-01

    Two different ionic liquid-based biopolymer electrolyte systems were prepared using a solution casting technique. Corn starch and lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) were employed as polymer and salt, respectively. Additionally, two different counteranions of ionic liquids, viz. 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BmImPF6) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate (also known as 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium triflate) (BmImTf) were used and studied in this present work. The maximum ionic conductivities of (1.47 ± 0.02) × 10−4 and (3.21 ± 0.01) × 10−4 S·cm−1 were achieved with adulteration of 50 wt% of BmImPF6 and 80 wt% of BmImTf, respectively at ambient temperature. Activated carbon-based electrodes were prepared and used in supercapacitor fabrication. Supercapacitors were then assembled using the most conducting polymer electrolyte from each system. The electrochemical properties of the supercapacitors were then analyzed. The supercapacitor containing the triflate-based biopolymer electrolyte depicted a higher specific capacitance with a wider electrochemical stability window compared to that of the hexafluorophosphate system. PMID:28788662

  15. A molecular dynamics study of lithium-containing aprotic heterocyclic ionic liquid electrolytes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lourenço, Tuanan C.; Zhang, Yong; Costa, Luciano T.; Maginn, Edward J.

    2018-05-01

    Classical molecular dynamics simulations were performed on twelve different ionic liquids containing aprotic heterocyclic anions doped with Li+. These ionic liquids have been shown to be promising electrolytes for lithium ion batteries. Self-diffusivities, lithium transference numbers, densities, and free volumes were computed as a function of lithium concentration. The dynamics and free volume decreased with increasing lithium concentration, and the trends were rationalized by examining the changes to the liquid structure. Of those examined in the present work, it was found that (methyloxymethyl)triethylphosphonium triazolide ionic liquids have the overall best performance.

  16. Thermally-responsive, nonflammable phosphonium ionic liquid electrolytes for lithium metal batteries: operating at 100 degrees celsius.

    PubMed

    Lin, X; Kavian, R; Lu, Y; Hu, Q; Shao-Horn, Y; Grinstaff, M W

    2015-11-13

    Rechargeable batteries such as Li ion/Li metal batteries are widely used in the electronics market but the chemical instability of the electrolyte limits their use in more demanding environmental conditions such as in automotive, oil exploration, or mining applications. In this study, a series of alkyl phosphonium ionic liquid electrolyte are described with high thermal stability and solubility for LiTFSI. A lithium metal battery (LMB) containing a tailored phosphonium ionic liquid/LiTFSI electrolyte operates at 100 °C with good specific capacities and cycling stability. Substantial capacity is maintained during 70 cycles or 30 days. Instant on-off battery operation is realized via the significant temperature dependence of the electrolyte material, demonstrating the robustness and potential for use at high temperature.

  17. Quaternary Polymer Electrolytes Containing an Ionic Liquid and a Ceramic Filler.

    PubMed

    Sharova, Varvara; Kim, Guk-Tae; Giffin, Guinevere A; Lex-Balducci, Alexandra; Passerini, Stefano

    2016-07-01

    In this work, the individual and combined effects of an ionic liquid 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide and ceramic filler silicon dioxide on the thermal and electrochemical properties of poly(ethylene oxide) electrolytes have been investigated. The electrolyte containing both components has the lowest glass transition (-60 °C) and melting temperatures (27 °C), the highest conductivity at any investigated temperature, and the highest limiting current density (at 40 °C). This solid polymer electrolyte also exhibits the best long-term cycling performance in Li/LiFePO4 cells. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  18. The Effect of Structural Modifications on Ionic Conductivity in Newly-Designed Polyester Electrolytes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pesko, Danielle; Jung, Yuki; Coates, Geoff; Balsara, Nitash

    2015-03-01

    Gaining a fundamental understanding of the relationship between molecular structure and ionic conductivity of polymer electrolytes is an essential step toward designing next generation materials for battery applications. In this study, we use a systematic set of newly-designed polyesters with varying side-chain lengths and oxygen functional groups to elucidate the effects of structural modifications on the conductive properties of the corresponding electrolytes. Mixtures of polyesters and lithium bis(trifluromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) were characterized using ac impedance spectroscopy to measure the ionic conductivity at various temperatures and salt concentrations. The relative conductivities of these electrolytes in the dilute limit are directly comparable to results of molecular dynamics simulations performed using the same polymers. The simulations correspond well with the experimental results, and provide molecular level insight about the solvation environment of the lithium ions and how the ions transport through these polyesters.

  19. Solid-state supercapacitors with ionic liquid based gel polymer electrolyte: Effect of lithium salt addition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pandey, G. P.; Hashmi, S. A.

    2013-12-01

    Performance characteristics of the solid-state supercapacitors fabricated with ionic liquid (IL) incorporated gel polymer electrolyte and acid treated multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) electrodes have been studied. The effect of Li-salt (LiPF6) addition in the IL (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tris(pentafluoroethyl) trifluorophosphate, EMImFAP) based gel electrolyte on the performance of supercapacitors has been specifically investigated. The LiPF6/IL/poly(vinylidine fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVdF-HFP) gel electrolyte film possesses excellent electrochemical window of 4 V (from -2.0 to 2.0 V), high ionic conductivity ∼2.6 × 10-3 S cm-1 at 20 °C and high enough thermal stability. The comparative performance of supercapacitors employing electrolytes with and without lithium salt has been evaluated by impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetric studies. The acid-treated MWCNT electrodes show specific capacitance of ∼127 F g-1 with IL/LiPF6 containing gel polymer electrolyte as compared to that with the gel polymer electrolyte without Li-salt, showing the value of ∼76 F g-1. The long cycling stability of the solid state supercapacitor based on the Li-salt containing gel polymer electrolyte confirms the electrochemical stability of the electrolyte.

  20. Homogeneous lithium electrodeposition with pyrrolidinium-based ionic liquid electrolytes.

    PubMed

    Grande, Lorenzo; von Zamory, Jan; Koch, Stephan L; Kalhoff, Julian; Paillard, Elie; Passerini, Stefano

    2015-03-18

    In this study, we report on the electroplating and stripping of lithium in two ionic liquid (IL) based electrolytes, namely N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis(fluorosulfonyl) imide (Pyr14FSI) and N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (Pyr14TFSI), and mixtures thereof, both on nickel and lithium electrodes. An improved method to evaluate the Li cycling efficiency confirmed that homogeneous electroplating (and stripping) of Li is possible with TFSI-based ILs. Moreover, the presence of native surface features on lithium, directly observable via scanning electron microscope imaging, was used to demonstrate the enhanced electrolyte interphase (SEI)-forming ability, that is, fast cathodic reactivity of this class of electrolytes and the suppressed dendrite growth. Finally, the induced inhomogeneous deposition enabled us to witness the SEI cracking and revealed previously unreported bundled Li fibers below the pre-existing SEI and nonrod-shaped protuberances resulting from Li extrusion.

  1. Nonaqueous System of Iron-Based Ionic Liquid and DMF for the Oxidation of Hydrogen Sulfide and Regeneration by Electrolysis.

    PubMed

    Guo, Zhihui; Zhang, Tingting; Liu, Tiantian; Du, Jun; Jia, Bing; Gao, Shujing; Yu, Jiang

    2015-05-05

    To improve the hydrogen sulfide removal efficiency with the application of an iron-based imidazolium chloride ionic liquid (Fe(III)-IL) as desulfurizer, Fe(II) and N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) are introduced to Fe(III)-IL to construct a new nonaqueous desulfurization system (Fe(III/II)-IL/DMF). Following desulfurization, the system can be regenerated using the controlled-potential electrolysis method. The addition of Fe(II) in Fe(III)-IL is beneficial for the hydrogen sulfide removal and the electrochemical regeneration of the desulfurizer. The addition of DMF in Fe(III/II)-IL does not change the structure of Fe(III/II)-IL but clearly decreases the acidity, increases the electrolytic current, and decreases the stability of the Fe-Cl bond in Fe(III/II)-IL. Fe(III/II)-IL/DMF can remove hydrogen sulfide and can be regenerated through an electrochemical method more efficiently than can Fe(III/II)-IL. After six cycles, the desulfurization efficiency remains higher than 98%, and the average conversion rate of Fe(II) is essentially unchanged. No sulfur peroxidation occurs, and the system remains stable. Therefore, this new nonaqueous system has considerable potential for removing H2S in pollution control applications.

  2. Mixed Ionic Liquid Improves Electrolyte Dynamics in Supercapacitors

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Osti, Naresh C.; Gallegos, Alejandro; Dyatkin, Boris

    Well-tailored mixtures of distinct ionic liquids can act as optimal electrolytes that extend the operating electrochemical window and improve charge storage density in supercapacitors. Here, we explore two room-temperature ionic liquids, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (EmimTFSI) and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EmimBF 4). We study their electric double-layer behavior in the neat state and as binary mixtures on the external surfaces of onion-like carbon electrodes using quasielastic neutron scattering (QENS) and classical density functional theory techniques. Computational results reveal that a mixture with 4:1 EmimTFSI/EmimBF 4 volume ratio displaces the larger [TFSI –] anions with smaller [BF 4 –] ions, leading to an excessmore » adsorption of [Emim +] cations near the electrode surface. These findings are corroborated by the manifestation of nonuniform ion diffusivity change, complementing the description of structural modifications with changing composition, from QENS measurements. In conclusion, molecular-level understanding of ion packing near electrodes provides insight for design of ionic liquid formulations that enhance the performance of electrochemical energy storage devices.« less

  3. Mixed Ionic Liquid Improves Electrolyte Dynamics in Supercapacitors

    DOE PAGES

    Osti, Naresh C.; Gallegos, Alejandro; Dyatkin, Boris; ...

    2018-04-19

    Well-tailored mixtures of distinct ionic liquids can act as optimal electrolytes that extend the operating electrochemical window and improve charge storage density in supercapacitors. Here, we explore two room-temperature ionic liquids, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (EmimTFSI) and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EmimBF 4). We study their electric double-layer behavior in the neat state and as binary mixtures on the external surfaces of onion-like carbon electrodes using quasielastic neutron scattering (QENS) and classical density functional theory techniques. Computational results reveal that a mixture with 4:1 EmimTFSI/EmimBF 4 volume ratio displaces the larger [TFSI –] anions with smaller [BF 4 –] ions, leading to an excessmore » adsorption of [Emim +] cations near the electrode surface. These findings are corroborated by the manifestation of nonuniform ion diffusivity change, complementing the description of structural modifications with changing composition, from QENS measurements. In conclusion, molecular-level understanding of ion packing near electrodes provides insight for design of ionic liquid formulations that enhance the performance of electrochemical energy storage devices.« less

  4. Formulation of ionic liquid electrolyte to expand the voltage window of supercapacitors

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Van Aken, Katherine L.; Beidaghi, Majid; Gogotsi, Yury

    We report an effective method to expand the operating potential window (OPW) of electrochemical capacitors based on formulating the ionic liquid (IL) electrolytes. Moreover, using model electrochemical cells based on two identical onion like carbon (OLC) electrodes and two different IL electrolytes and their mixtures, it was shown that the asymmetric behavior of the electrolyte’s cation and anion toward the two electrodes limits the OPW of the cell and therefore its energy density. Additionally, a general solution to this problem is proposed by formulating the IL electrolyte mixtures to balance the capacitance of electrodes in a symmetric supercapacitor.

  5. Formulation of ionic liquid electrolyte to expand the voltage window of supercapacitors

    DOE PAGES

    Van Aken, Katherine L.; Beidaghi, Majid; Gogotsi, Yury

    2015-03-18

    We report an effective method to expand the operating potential window (OPW) of electrochemical capacitors based on formulating the ionic liquid (IL) electrolytes. Moreover, using model electrochemical cells based on two identical onion like carbon (OLC) electrodes and two different IL electrolytes and their mixtures, it was shown that the asymmetric behavior of the electrolyte’s cation and anion toward the two electrodes limits the OPW of the cell and therefore its energy density. Additionally, a general solution to this problem is proposed by formulating the IL electrolyte mixtures to balance the capacitance of electrodes in a symmetric supercapacitor.

  6. Tandem dissolution of UO 3 in amide-based acidic ionic liquid and in situ electrodeposition of UO 2 with regeneration of the ionic liquid: a closed cycle

    DOE PAGES

    Wanigasekara, Eranda; Freiderich, John W.; Sun, Xiao-Guang; ...

    2016-05-19

    A closed cycle is demonstrated for the tandem dissolution and electroreduction of UO 3 to UO 2 with regeneration of the acidic ionic liquid. The dissolution is achieved by use of the acidic ionic liquid N,N-dimethylacetimidium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonimide) in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonimide) serving as the diluent. Bulk electrolysis performed at 1.0 V vs. Ag reference yields a dark brown-black uranium deposit (UO 2) on the cathode. Anodic oxidation of water in the presence of dimethylacetamide regenerates the acidic ionic liquid. We have demonstrated the individual steps in the cycle together with a sequential dissolution, electroreduction, and regeneration cycle.

  7. Tandem dissolution of UO 3 in amide-based acidic ionic liquid and in situ electrodeposition of UO 2 with regeneration of the ionic liquid: a closed cycle

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wanigasekara, Eranda; Freiderich, John W.; Sun, Xiao-Guang

    A closed cycle is demonstrated for the tandem dissolution and electroreduction of UO 3 to UO 2 with regeneration of the acidic ionic liquid. The dissolution is achieved by use of the acidic ionic liquid N,N-dimethylacetimidium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonimide) in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonimide) serving as the diluent. Bulk electrolysis performed at 1.0 V vs. Ag reference yields a dark brown-black uranium deposit (UO 2) on the cathode. Anodic oxidation of water in the presence of dimethylacetamide regenerates the acidic ionic liquid. We have demonstrated the individual steps in the cycle together with a sequential dissolution, electroreduction, and regeneration cycle.

  8. Ionic liquids in a poly ethylene oxide cross-linked gel polymer as an electrolyte for electrical double layer capacitor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chaudoy, V.; Tran Van, F.; Deschamps, M.; Ghamouss, F.

    2017-02-01

    In the present work, we developed a gel polymer electrolyte via the incorporation of a room temperature ionic liquid into a cross-linked polymer matrix. The cross-linked gel electrolyte was prepared using a free radical polymerization of methacrylate and dimethacrylate oligomers dissolved in 1-propyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide. Combining the advantages of the ionic liquids and of conventional polymers, the cross-linked gel polymer electrolyte was used both as a separator and as an electrolyte for a leakage-free and non-flammable EDLC supercapacitor. The quasi-all solid-state supercapacitors showed rather good capacitance, power and energy densities by comparison to a liquid electrolyte-based EDLC.

  9. Mixtures of glyme and aprotic-protic ionic liquids as electrolytes for energy storage devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stettner, T.; Huang, P.; Goktas, M.; Adelhelm, P.; Balducci, A.

    2018-05-01

    Ionic liquids (ILs) have been proven to be promising electrolytes for electrochemical energy storage devices such as supercapacitors and lithium ion batteries. In the last years, due to deficiency in storage of lithium on earth, innovative systems, such as sodium-based devices, attracted considerable attention. IL-based electrolytes have been proposed also as electrolytes for these devices. Nevertheless, in the case of these systems, the advantages and limits of IL-based electrolytes need to be further investigated. In this work we report an investigation about the chemical-physical properties of mixtures containing bis(2-methoxyethyl)ether diglyme (2G), which is presently considered as one of the most interesting solvents for sodium-based devices, and the ionic liquids 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (Pyr14TFSI) and 1-butylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (PyrH4TFSI). The conductivities, viscosities, and densities of several mixtures of 2G and these ILs have been investigated. Furthermore, their impact on the electrochemical behaviour of activated carbon composite electrodes has been considered. The results of this investigation indicate that these mixtures are promising electrolytes for the realization of advanced sodium-based devices.

  10. High Areal Energy 3D-Interdigitated Micro-Supercapacitors in Aqueous and Ionic Liquid Electrolytes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Eustache, Etienne; Douard, Camille; Demortière, Arnaud

    The fabrication of high performance on-chip 3D micro-supercapacitors (MSCs) based on MnO 2 pseudocapacitive binder-free thin film electrodes (< 500 nm thick) with interdigitated topology is reported. An original technological process easily scalable to pilot production line is proposed on 3-inch silicon wafers. High areal energy (> 10 μWh.cm -2) and power densities (> 10 mW.cm -2) are reached on small footprint micro-supercapacitors (4 mm 2) tested in aqueous electrolyte (0.8 V). Furthermore, the cell voltage of such MSC can be increased up to 1.5 V with EMI TFSI ionic liquids but at the expense of the areal capacitance. Themore » performance in ionic liquid is in the same order of magnitude than the one obtained for aqueous electrolyte. The benefit from the 3D topology is clearly demonstrated when the surface performance are normalized to the electrode thickness allowing to obtain an interesting energy vs power tradeoff (> 10 μWh.cm -2 μm -1 and > 1 mw.cm -2 μm -1). Here, this paper aims at improving the energy density of MSCs while keeping high power capability, by combining the use of ionic liquids and the deposition of MnO 2 thin film onto robust and efficient 3D scaffolds.« less

  11. High Areal Energy 3D-Interdigitated Micro-Supercapacitors in Aqueous and Ionic Liquid Electrolytes

    DOE PAGES

    Eustache, Etienne; Douard, Camille; Demortière, Arnaud; ...

    2017-08-21

    The fabrication of high performance on-chip 3D micro-supercapacitors (MSCs) based on MnO 2 pseudocapacitive binder-free thin film electrodes (< 500 nm thick) with interdigitated topology is reported. An original technological process easily scalable to pilot production line is proposed on 3-inch silicon wafers. High areal energy (> 10 μWh.cm -2) and power densities (> 10 mW.cm -2) are reached on small footprint micro-supercapacitors (4 mm 2) tested in aqueous electrolyte (0.8 V). Furthermore, the cell voltage of such MSC can be increased up to 1.5 V with EMI TFSI ionic liquids but at the expense of the areal capacitance. Themore » performance in ionic liquid is in the same order of magnitude than the one obtained for aqueous electrolyte. The benefit from the 3D topology is clearly demonstrated when the surface performance are normalized to the electrode thickness allowing to obtain an interesting energy vs power tradeoff (> 10 μWh.cm -2 μm -1 and > 1 mw.cm -2 μm -1). Here, this paper aims at improving the energy density of MSCs while keeping high power capability, by combining the use of ionic liquids and the deposition of MnO 2 thin film onto robust and efficient 3D scaffolds.« less

  12. Na3Si2Y0.16Zr1.84PO12-ionic liquid hybrid electrolytes: An approach for realizing solid-state sodium-ion batteries?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de la Torre-Gamarra, Carmen; Appetecchi, Giovanni Battista; Ulissi, Ulderico; Varzi, Alberto; Varez, Alejandro; Passerini, Stefano

    2018-04-01

    Ceramic electrolytes are prepared through sintering processes which are carried out at high temperatures and require prolonged operating times, resulting unwelcome in industrial applications. We report a physicochemical characterization on hybrid, sodium conducting, electrolyte systems obtained by coating NASICON ceramic powders with the N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide ionic liquid. The goal is to realize a ceramic-IL interface with improved sodium mobility, aiming to obtain a solid electrolyte with high ion transport properties but avoiding sintering thermal treatment. The purpose of the present work, however, is showing how simply combining NASICON powder and Py14TFSI does not lead to any synergic effect on the resulting hybrid electrolyte, evidencing that an average functionalization of the ceramic powder surface and/or ionic liquid is needed. Also, the processing conditions for preparing the hybrid samples are found to affect their ion transport properties.

  13. Mixed ionic liquid as electrolyte for lithium batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Diaw, M.; Chagnes, A.; Carré, B.; Willmann, P.; Lemordant, D.

    Ionic liquids like 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (IMIBF 4) or hexafluorophosphate (IMIPF 6) and 1-butyl-4-methylpyridinium tetrafluoroborate (PyBF 4) were mixed with organic solvents such as butyrolactone (BL) and acetonitrile (ACN). A lithium salt (LiBF 4 or LiPF 6) was added to these mixtures for possible application in the field of energy storage (batteries or supercapacitors). Viscosities, conductivities and electrochemical windows at a Pt electrode of these electrolytes were investigated. All studied electrolytes are stable toward oxidation and exhibit a vitreous phase transition, which has been determined by application of the VTF theory to conductivity measurements. Mixtures containing the BF 4- anion exhibit the lowest viscosity and the highest conductivity. Two mixtures have been optimized in terms of conductivity: BL/IMIBF 4 (60/40, v/v) and ACN/IMIBF 4 (70/30, v/v).

  14. Cation effect on small phosphonium based ionic liquid electrolytes with high concentrations of lithium salt

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Fangfang; Kerr, Robert; Forsyth, Maria

    2018-05-01

    Ionic liquid electrolytes with high alkali salt concentrations have displayed some excellent electrochemical properties, thus opening up the field for further improvements to liquid electrolytes for lithium or sodium batteries. Fundamental computational investigations into these high concentration systems are required in order to gain a better understanding of these systems, yet they remain lacking. Small phosphonium-based ionic liquids with high concentrations of alkali metal ions have recently shown many promising results in experimental studies, thereby prompting us to conduct further theoretical exploration of these materials. Here, we conducted a molecular dynamics simulation on four small phosphonium-based ionic liquids with 50 mol. % LiFSI salt, focusing on the effect of cation structure on local structuring and ion diffusional and rotational dynamics—which are closely related to the electrochemical properties of these materials.

  15. Printed environmentally friendly supercapacitors with ionic liquid electrolytes on paper

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pettersson, F.; Keskinen, J.; Remonen, T.; von Hertzen, L.; Jansson, E.; Tappura, K.; Zhang, Y.; Wilén, C.-E.; Österbacka, R.

    2014-12-01

    Environmentally friendly supercapacitors are fabricated using commercial grade aluminum coated paper as a substrate and symmetrical activated carbon electrodes as large area electrodes. Different choline chloride-based eutectic solvents are used as electrolyte. These are inexpensive, environmentally friendly and have a larger operating window compared to that of water electrolytes. As the entire device is printed and the materials used are inexpensive, both small- and large-area power sources can be fabricated to be used in cheap, disposable and recyclable devices. Supercapacitors with different eutectic solvents are measured using cyclic charge-discharge and impedance spectroscopy measurements and compared to one widely used and one "green" imidazolium ionic liquid; EMIM:TFSI and EcoEng 212™, respectively. A mixture of ethylene glycol and choline chloride, Glyceline™, show the highest capacitance and power densities of the electrolytes being tested, including the imidazolium alternatives.

  16. Non-aqueous aluminium-air battery based on ionic liquid electrolyte

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Revel, Renaud; Audichon, Thomas; Gonzalez, Serge

    2014-12-01

    A promising metal-air secondary battery based on aluminium-oxygen couple is described. In this paper, we observed that an aluminium-air battery employing EMImCl, AlCl3 room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) as electrolyte and aluminium as negative electrode, has an exceptional reduced self-discharged rate. Due to its new and innovative type of electrolyte, this aluminium-air battery can support relatively high current densities (up to 0.6 mA cm-2) and an average voltage of 0.6-0.8 V. Such batteries may find immediate applications, as they can provide an internal, built-in autonomous and self-sustained energy source.

  17. Enhanced performance of dicationic ionic liquid electrolytes by organic solvents.

    PubMed

    Li, Song; Zhang, Pengfei; Fulvio Pasquale, F; Hillesheim Patrick, C; Feng, Guang; Dai, Sheng; Cummings Peter, T

    2014-07-16

    The use of dicationic ionic liquid (DIL) electrolytes in supercapacitors is impeded by the slow dynamics of DILs, whereas the addition of organic solvents into DIL electrolytes improves ion transport and then enhances the power density of supercapacitors. In this work, the influences of organic solvents on the conductivity of DILs and the electrical double layer (EDL) of DIL-based supercapacitors are investigated using classical molecular dynamics simulation. Two types of organic solvents, acetonitrile (ACN) and propylene carbonate (PC), were used to explore the effects of different organic solvents on the EDL structure and capacitance of DIL/organic solvent-based supercapacitors. Firstly, it was found that the conductivity of DIL electrolytes was greatly enhanced in the presence of the organic solvent ACN. Secondly, a stronger adsorption of PC on graphite results in different EDL structures formed by DIL/ACN and DIL/PC electrolytes. The expulsion of co-ions from EDLs was observed in DIL/organic solvent electrolytes rather than neat DILs and this feature is more evident in DIL/PC. Furthermore, the bell-shaped differential capacitance-electric potential curve was not essentially changed by the presence of organic solvents. Comparing DIL/organic solvent electrolytes with neat DILs, the capacitance is slightly increased by organic solvents, which is in agreement with experimental observation.

  18. Physical Properties of Substituted Imidazolium Based Ionic Liquids Gel Electrolytes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sutto, Thomas E.; De Long, Hugh C.; Trulove, Paul C.

    2002-11-01

    The physical properties of solid gel electrolytes of either polyvinylidene diflurohexafluoropropylene or a combination of polyvinylidene hexafluoropropylene and polyacrylic acid, and the molten salts 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, 1,2-dimethyl-3-n-propylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, and the new molten salts 1,2-dimethyl-3-n-butylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, and 1,2-dimethyl-3-n-butylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate were characterized by temperature dependent ionic conductivity measurements for both the pure molten salt and of the molten salt with 0.5 M Li+ present. Ionic conductivity data indicate that for each of the molten salts, the highest concentration of molten salt allowable in a single component polymer gel was 85%, while gels composed of 90%molten salt were possible when using both polyvinylidene hexafluorophosphate and polyacrylic acid. For polymer gel composites prepared using lithium containing ionic liquids, the optimum polymer gel composite consisted of 85% of the 0.5 M Li+/ionic liquid, 12.75% polyvinylidene hexafluoropropylene, and 2.25% poly (1-carboxyethylene). The highest ionic conductivity observed was for the gel containing 90%1-ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium tetrafluoroborate, 9.08 mS/cm. For the lithium containing ionic liquid gels, their ionic conductivity ranged from 1.45 to 0.05 mS/cm, which is comparable to the value of 0.91 mS/cm, observed for polymer composite gels containing 0.5 M LiBF4 in propylene carbonate.

  19. Extensive ionic partitioning in interfaces that membranous and biomimetic surfaces form with electrolytes: Antitheses of the gold-electrolyte interface

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chilcott, Terry; Guo, Chuan; Coster, Hans

    2013-04-01

    Maxwell-Wagner modeling of electrical impedance measurements of tetradecane-electrolyte systems yielded three interfacial layers between the tetradecane layer and the bulk electrolytes of concentration ranging from 1-300 mM KCl whereas the gold-electrolyte system yielded only one layer. The conductivity and thickness for the surface layer were orders of magnitude different from that expected for the Gouy-Chapman layer and did not reflect dependencies of the Debye length on concentration. Conductivity values for the three layers were less than those of the bulk electrolyte but exhibited a dependency on concentration similar to that expected for the bulk. Thickness values for the layers indicate an interface extending ~106 Å into the bulk electrolyte, which contrasts with the gold-electrolyte interface that extended only 20-30 Å into the bulk. Maxwell-Wagner characterizations of both interfaces were consistent with spatial distributions of ionic partitioning arising from the Born energy as determined by the dielectric properties of the substrates and electrolyte. The distributions for the membranous and silicon interfaces were similar but the antitheses of that for the gold interface.

  20. Studies on structural, thermal and AC conductivity scaling of PEO-LiPF6 polymer electrolyte with added ionic liquid [BMIMPF6

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chaurasia, S. K.; Saroj, A. L.; Shalu, Singh, V. K.; Tripathi, A. K.; Gupta, A. K.; Verma, Y. L.; Singh, R. K.

    2015-07-01

    Preparation and characterization of polymer electrolyte films of PEO+10wt.% LiPF6 + xwt.% BMIMPF6 (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate) containing dopant salt lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) and ionic liquid (BMIMPF6) having common anion PF6 - are reported. The ionic conductivity of the polymer electrolyte films has been found to increase with increasing concentration of BMIMPF6 in PEO+10 wt.% LiPF6 due to the plasticization effect of ionic liquid. DSC and XRD results show that the crystallinity of polymer electrolyte decreases with BMIMPF6 concentration which, in turn, is responsible for the increase in ionic conductivity. FTIR spectroscopic study shows the complexation of salt and/or ionic liquid cations with the polymer backbone. Ion dynamics behavior of PEO+LiPF6 as well as PEO+LiPF6 + BMIMPF6 polymer electrolytes was studied by frequency dependent conductivity, σ(f) measurements. The values σ(f) at various temperatures have been analyzed in terms of Jonscher power law (JPL) and scaled with respect to frequency which shows universal power law characteristics at all temperatures.

  1. Electrochemically stable electrolytes

    DOEpatents

    Angell, Charles Austen; Zhang, Sheng-Shui; Xu, Kang

    1999-01-01

    This invention relates generally to inorganic ionic liquids which function as electrolytes and do not crystallize at ambient temperature. More specifically, this invention is directed to quasi-salt inorganic ionic liquids which comprise the reaction product of a strong Lewis acid with an inorganic halide-donating molecule. This invention is further directed to quasi-salt inorganic ionic liquid mixtures which comprise combinations of electrolyte additives and quasi-salt inorganic ionic liquids. These quasi-salt inorganic ionic liquid mixtures are useful electrolytes.

  2. Electrochemically stable electrolytes

    DOEpatents

    Angell, C.A.; Zhang, S.S.; Xu, K.

    1999-01-05

    This invention relates generally to inorganic ionic liquids which function as electrolytes and do not crystallize at ambient temperature. More specifically, this invention is directed to quasi-salt inorganic ionic liquids which comprise the reaction product of a strong Lewis acid with an inorganic halide-donating molecule. This invention is further directed to quasi-salt inorganic ionic liquid mixtures which comprise combinations of electrolyte additives and quasi-salt inorganic ionic liquids. These quasi-salt inorganic ionic liquid mixtures are useful electrolytes. 16 figs.

  3. Performance of solid state supercapacitors based on polymer electrolytes containing different ionic liquids

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tiruye, Girum Ayalneh; Muñoz-Torrero, David; Palma, Jesus; Anderson, Marc; Marcilla, Rebeca

    2016-09-01

    Four Ionic Liquid based Polymer Electrolytes (IL-b-PE) were prepared by blending a Polymeric Ionic Liquid, Poly(diallyldimethylammonium) bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (PILTFSI), with four different ionic liquids: 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (PYR14TFSI) (IL-b-PE1), 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (PYR14FSI) (IL-b-PE2), 1-(2-hydroxy ethyl)-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (HEMimTFSI) (IL-b-PE3), and 1-Butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium dicyanamide, (PYR14DCA) (IL-b-PE4). Physicochemical properties of IL-b-PE such as ionic conductivity, thermal and electrochemical stability were found to be dependent on the IL properties. For instance, ionic conductivity was significantly higher for IL-b-PE2 and IL-b-PE4 containing IL with small size anions (FSI and DCA) than IL-b-PE1 and IL-b-PE3 bearing IL with bigger anion (TFSI). On the other hand, wider electrochemical stability window (ESW) was found for IL-b-PE1 and IL-b-PE2 having ILs with electrochemically stable pyrrolidinium cation and FSI and TFSI anions. Solid state Supercapacitors (SCs) were assembled with activated carbon electrodes and their electrochemical performance was correlated with the polymer electrolyte properties. Best performance was obtained with SC having IL-b-PE2 that exhibited a good compromise between ionic conductivity and electrochemical window. Specific capacitance (Cam), real energy (Ereal) & real power densities (Preal) as high as 150 F g-1, 36 Wh kg-1 & 1170 W kg-1 were found at operating voltage of 3.5 V.

  4. Enhanced proton transport in nanostructured polymer electrolyte/ionic liquid membranes under water-free conditions.

    PubMed

    Kim, Sung Yeon; Kim, Suhan; Park, Moon Jeong

    2010-10-05

    Proton exchange fuel cells (PEFCs) have the potential to provide power for a variety of applications ranging from electronic devices to transportation vehicles. A major challenge towards economically viable PEFCs is finding an electrolyte that is both durable and easily passes protons. In this article, we study novel anhydrous proton-conducting membranes, formed by incorporating ionic liquids into synthetic block co-polymer electrolytes, poly(styrenesulphonate-b-methylbutylene) (S(n)MB(m)), as high-temperature PEFCs. The resulting membranes are transparent, flexible and thermally stable up to 180 °C. The increases in the sulphonation level of S(n)MB(m) co-polymers (proton supplier) and the concentration of the ionic liquid (proton mediator) produce an overall increase in conductivity. Morphology effects were studied by X-ray scattering and electron microscopy. Compared with membranes having discrete ionic domains (including Nafion 117), the nanostructured membranes revealed over an order of magnitude increase in conductivity with the highest conductivity of 0.045 S cm(-1) obtained at 165 °C.

  5. Surface NH2-rich nanoparticles: Solidifying ionic-liquid electrolytes and improving the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fang, Yanyan; Ma, Pin; Fu, Nianqing; Zhou, Xiaowen; Fang, Shibi; Lin, Yuan

    2017-12-01

    The surface properties of nanoparticles have a significant influence on the properties of the gel electrolytes. Herein, the surface NH2-rich nanoparticle (A-SiO2), with a tightening network, is synthesized by silanizing SiO2 nanoparticles with pre-polymerized aminopropyltriethoxysilane, which is further employed to prepare ionic-liquid gel electrolytes for dye-sensitized solar cells. The addition of a small amount of A-SiO2 can effectively solidify the ionic-liquid, whereas a large number of NH2 groups on the SiO2 surface leads to a large negative shift of the TiO2 conduction band edge, and can react with I3- in the form of a Lewis complex, resulting in an increase in the concentration of I- and a decrease in the concentration of I3- in the electrolyte. In addition, the ionic-liquid gel electrolyte possesses thixotropic behavior, which allows it to easily penetrate into the inner part of the TiO2 mesoporous film. As a result, large improvements of the photovoltage from 695 mV to 785 mV and of the photocurrent from 13.3 mA cm-2 to 14.9 mA cm-2 are achieved. This leads to significant enhancement of the power conversion efficiency, from 6.2% to 8.1%, for the cell with A-SiO2 compared to that of the pristine ionic-liquid electrolyte.

  6. Thermo- and electro-dual responsive poly(ionic liquid) electrolyte based smart windows.

    PubMed

    Chen, Fei; Ren, Yongyuan; Guo, Jiangna; Yan, Feng

    2017-01-31

    Thermo- and electro-dual responsive poly(ionic liquid) (PIL) based electrolytes were synthesized by co-polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) with (or without) 3-butyl-1-vinyl-imidazolium bromide ([BVIm][Br]) using diallyl-viologen (DAV) as both the cross-linking agent and electrochromic material.

  7. Targeting adequate thermal stability and fire safety in selecting ionic liquid-based electrolytes for energy storage.

    PubMed

    Chancelier, L; Diallo, A O; Santini, C C; Marlair, G; Gutel, T; Mailley, S; Len, C

    2014-02-07

    The energy storage market relating to lithium based systems regularly grows in size and expands in terms of a portfolio of energy and power demanding applications. Thus safety focused research must more than ever accompany related technological breakthroughs regarding performance of cells, resulting in intensive research on the chemistry and materials science to design more reliable batteries. Formulating electrolyte solutions with nonvolatile and hardly flammable ionic liquids instead of actual carbonate mixtures could be safer. However, few definitions of thermal stability of electrolytes based on ionic liquids have been reported in the case of abuse conditions (fire, shortcut, overcharge or overdischarge). This work investigates thermal stability up to combustion of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide ([C1C4Im][NTf2]) and 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide ([PYR14][NTf2]) ionic liquids, and their corresponding electrolytes containing lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide LiNTf2. Their possible routes of degradation during thermal abuse testings were investigated by thermodynamic studies under several experimental conditions. Their behaviours under fire were also tested, including the analysis of emitted compounds.

  8. Ionic conductivity and dielectric permittivity of polymer electrolyte plasticized with polyethylene glycol

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Das, S.; Ghosh, A.

    2016-05-01

    We have studied ionic conductivity and dielectric permittivity of PEO-LiClO4 solid polymer electrolyte plasticized with polyethylene glycol (PEG). The temperature dependence of the ionic conductivity has been well interpreted using Vogel-Tamman-Fulcher equation. The maximum dielectric constant is observed for 30 wt. % of PEG content. To get further insights into the ion dynamics, the complex dielectric permittivity has been studied with Havriliak-Negami function. The variation of relaxation time with inverse temperature obtained from HN formalism follows VTF nature.

  9. All-solid-state flexible supercapacitors based on papers coated with carbon nanotubes and ionic-liquid-based gel electrolytes.

    PubMed

    Kang, Yu Jin; Chung, Haegeun; Han, Chi-Hwan; Kim, Woong

    2012-02-17

    All-solid-state flexible supercapacitors were fabricated using carbon nanotubes (CNTs), regular office papers, and ionic-liquid-based gel electrolytes. Flexible electrodes were made by coating CNTs on office papers by a drop-dry method. The gel electrolyte was prepared by mixing fumed silica nanopowders with ionic liquid, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([EMIM][NTf(2)]). This supercapacitor showed high power and energy performance as a solid-state flexible supercapacitor. The specific capacitance of the CNT electrodes was 135 F g(-1) at a current density of 2 A g(-1), when considering the mass of active materials only. The maximum power and energy density of the supercapacitors were 164 kW kg(-1) and 41 Wh kg(-1), respectively. Interestingly, the solid-state supercapacitor with the gel electrolyte showed comparable performance to the supercapacitors with ionic-liquid electrolyte. Moreover, the supercapacitor showed excellent stability and flexibility. The CNT/paper- and gel-based supercapacitors may hold great potential for low-cost and high-performance flexible energy storage applications.

  10. All-solid-state flexible supercapacitors based on papers coated with carbon nanotubes and ionic-liquid-based gel electrolytes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kang, Yu Jin; Chung, Haegeun; Han, Chi-Hwan; Kim, Woong

    2012-02-01

    All-solid-state flexible supercapacitors were fabricated using carbon nanotubes (CNTs), regular office papers, and ionic-liquid-based gel electrolytes. Flexible electrodes were made by coating CNTs on office papers by a drop-dry method. The gel electrolyte was prepared by mixing fumed silica nanopowders with ionic liquid, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([EMIM][NTf2]). This supercapacitor showed high power and energy performance as a solid-state flexible supercapacitor. The specific capacitance of the CNT electrodes was 135 F g-1 at a current density of 2 A g-1, when considering the mass of active materials only. The maximum power and energy density of the supercapacitors were 164 kW kg-1 and 41 Wh kg-1, respectively. Interestingly, the solid-state supercapacitor with the gel electrolyte showed comparable performance to the supercapacitors with ionic-liquid electrolyte. Moreover, the supercapacitor showed excellent stability and flexibility. The CNT/paper- and gel-based supercapacitors may hold great potential for low-cost and high-performance flexible energy storage applications.

  11. Low-Polarization Lithium-Oxygen Battery Using [DEME][TFSI] Ionic Liquid Electrolyte.

    PubMed

    Ulissi, Ulderico; Elia, Giuseppe Antonio; Jeong, Sangsik; Mueller, Franziska; Reiter, Jakub; Tsiouvaras, Nikolaos; Sun, Yang-Kook; Scrosati, Bruno; Passerini, Stefano; Hassoun, Jusef

    2018-01-10

    The room-temperature molten salt mixture of N,N-diethyl-N-(2-methoxyethyl)-N-methylammonium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide ([DEME][TFSI]) and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) salt is herein reported as electrolyte for application in Li-O 2 batteries. The [DEME][TFSI]-LiTFSI solution is studied in terms of ionic conductivity, viscosity, electrochemical stability, and compatibility with lithium metal at 30 °C, 40 °C, and 60 °C. The electrolyte shows suitable properties for application in Li-O 2 battery, allowing a reversible, low-polarization discharge-charge performance with a capacity of about 13 Ah g-1carbon in the positive electrode and coulombic efficiency approaching 100 %. The reversibility of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR)/oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is demonstrated by ex situ XRD and SEM studies. Furthermore, the study of the cycling behavior of the Li-O 2 cell using the [DEME][TFSI]-LiTFSI electrolyte at increasing temperatures (from 30 to 60 °C) evidences enhanced energy efficiency together with morphology changes of the deposited species at the working electrode. In addition, the use of carbon-coated Zn 0.9 Fe 0.1 O (TMO-C) lithium-conversion anode in an ionic-liquid-based Li-ion/oxygen configuration is preliminarily demonstrated. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Synergistic Effects of Mixing Sulfone and Ionic Liquid as Safe Electrolytes for Lithium Sulfur Batteries

    DOE PAGES

    Liao, Chen; Guo, Bingkun; Sun, Xiao-Guang; ...

    2014-11-26

    A strategy of mixing both an ionic liquid and sulfone is reported to give synergistic effects of reducing viscosity, increasing ionic conductivity, reducing polysulfide dissolution, and improving safety. The mixtures of ionic liquids and sulfones also show distinctly different physicochemical properties, including thermal properties and crystallization behavior. By using these electrolytes, lithium sulfur batteries assembled with lithium and mesoporous carbon composites show a reversible specific capacity of 1265 mAhg- 1 (second cycle) by using 40% 1.0 M lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) in N-methyl-Npropylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide with 60% 1.0 M LiTFSI in methylisopropylsulfone in the first cycle. This capacity is slightly lower thanmore » that obtained in pure 1.0 M LiTFSI as the sulfone electrolyte; however, it exhibits excellent cycling stability and remains as high as 655 mAhg 1 even after 50 cycles. This strategy provides a method to alleviate polysulfide dissolution and redox shuttle phenomena, at the same time, with improved ionic conductivity.« less

  13. Polymeric Ionic Networks with High Charge Density: Solid-like Electrolytes in Lithium Metal Batteries

    DOE PAGES

    Zhang, Pengfei; Li, Mingtao; Jiang, Xueguang; ...

    2015-11-02

    Polymerized ionic networks (PINs) with six ion pairs per repeating unit are synthesized by nucleophilic-substitution-mediated polymerization or radical polymerization of monomers bearing six 1-vinylimidazolium cations. PIN-based solid-like electrolytes show good ionic conductivities (up to 5.32 × 10 -3 S cm -1 at 22 °C), wide electrochemical stability windows (up to 5.6 V), and good interfacial compatibility with the electrodes.

  14. Ionic liquid as an electrolyte additive for high performance lead-acid batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deyab, M. A.

    2018-06-01

    The performance of lead-acid battery is improved in this work by inhibiting the corrosion of negative battery electrode (lead) and hydrogen gas evolution using ionic liquid (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium diethyl phosphate). The results display that the addition of ionic liquid to battery electrolyte (5.0 M H2SO4 solution) suppresses the hydrogen gas evolution to very low rate 0.049 ml min-1 cm-2 at 80 ppm. Electrochemical studies show that the adsorption of ionic liquid molecules on the lead electrode surface leads to the increase in the charge transfer resistance and the decrease in the double layer capacitance. I also notice a noteworthy improvement of battery capacity from 45 mAh g-1 to 83 mAh g-1 in the presence of ionic liquid compound. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis confirm the adsorption of ionic liquid molecules on the battery electrode surface.

  15. Development of PVA based micro-porous polymer electrolyte by a novel preferential polymer dissolution process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Subramania, A.; Kalyana Sundaram, N. T.; Sukumar, N.

    A micro-porous polymer electrolyte based on PVA was obtained from PVA-PVC based polymer blend film by a novel preferential polymer dissolution technique. The ionic conductivity of micro-porous polymer electrolyte increases with increase in the removal of PVC content. Finally, the effect of variation of lithium salt concentration is studied for micro-porous polymer electrolyte of high ionic conductivity composition. The ionic conductivity of the micro-porous polymer electrolyte is measured in the temperature range of 301-351 K. It is observed that a 2 M LiClO 4 solution of micro-porous polymer electrolyte has high ionic conductivity of 1.5055 × 10 -3 S cm -1 at ambient temperature. Complexation and surface morphology of the micro-porous polymer electrolytes are studied by X-ray diffraction and SEM analysis. TG/DTA analysis informs that the micro-porous polymer electrolyte is thermally stable upto 277.9 °C. Chronoamperommetry and linear sweep voltammetry studies were made to find out lithium transference number and stability of micro-porous polymer electrolyte membrane, respectively. Cyclic voltammetry study was performed for carbon/micro-porous polymer electrolyte/LiMn 2O 4 cell to reveal the compatibility and electrochemical stability between electrode materials.

  16. High performance red phosphorus electrode in ionic liquid-based electrolyte for Na-ion batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dahbi, Mouad; Fukunishi, Mika; Horiba, Tatsuo; Yabuuchi, Naoaki; Yasuno, Satoshi; Komaba, Shinichi

    2017-09-01

    Electrochemical performance of the red phosphorus electrode was examined in ionic-liquid electrolyte, 0.25 mol dm-3 sodium bisfluorosulfonylamide (NaFSA) dissolved N-methyl-N-propylpyridinium-bisfluorosulfonylamide (MPPFSA), at room temperature. We compared its electrochemical performance to conventional EC/PC/DEC, EC/DEC, and PC solutions containing 1 mol dm-3 NaPF6. The electrode in NaFSA/MPPFSA demonstrated a reversible capacity of 1480 mAh g-1 and excellent capacity retention of 93% over 80 cycles, which is much better than those in the conventional electrolytes. The difference in capacity retention for the electrolytes correlates to the different solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer formed on the phosphorus electrode. To understand the SEI formation in NaFSA/MPPFSA and its evolution during cycling, we investigate the surface layer of the red phosphorus electrodes with hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS). A detailed analysis of HAXPES spectra demonstrates that SEI layer consists of major inorganic and minor organic species, originating from decomposition of MPP+ and FSA-. Homogenous surface layer is formed during the first cycle in NaFSA/MPPFSA while in alkyl carbonate ester electrolytes, continuous growth of surface film up to the 20th cycle is observed. Possibility of red phosphorous electrode for battery applications with pure ionic liquid is discussed.

  17. Ambient lithium-SO2 batteries with ionic liquids as electrolytes.

    PubMed

    Xing, Huabin; Liao, Chen; Yang, Qiwei; Veith, Gabriel M; Guo, Bingkun; Sun, Xiao-Guang; Ren, Qilong; Hu, Yong-Sheng; Dai, Sheng

    2014-02-17

    Li-SO2 batteries have a high energy density but bear serious safety problems that are associated with pressurized SO2 and flammable solvents in the system. Herein, a novel ambient Li-SO2 battery was developed through the introduction of ionic liquid (IL) electrolytes with tailored basicities to solvate SO2 by reversible chemical absorption. By tuning the interactions of ILs with SO2, a high energy density and good discharge performance with operating voltages above 2.8 V were obtained. This strategy based on reversible chemical absorption of SO2 in IL electrolytes enables the development of the next generation of ambient Li-SO2 batteries. Copyright © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  18. A model problem concerning ionic transport in microstructured solid electrolytes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Curto Sillamoni, Ignacio J.; Idiart, Martín I.

    2015-11-01

    We consider ionic transport by diffusion and migration through microstructured solid electrolytes. The assumed constitutive relations for the constituent phases follow from convex energy and dissipation potentials which guarantee thermodynamic consistency. The effective response is determined by homogenizing the relevant field equations via the notion ofmulti-scale convergence. The resulting homogenized response involves several effective tensors, but they all require the solution of just one standard conductivity problem over the representative volume element. A multi-scale model for semicrystalline polymer electrolytes with spherulitic morphologies is derived by applying the theory to a specific class of two-dimensional microgeometries for which the effective response can be computed exactly. An enriched model accounting for a random dispersion of filler particles with interphases is also derived. In both cases, explicit expressions for the effective material parameters are provided. The models are used to explore the effect of crystallinity and filler content on the overall response. Predictions support recent experimental observations on doped poly-ethylene-oxide systems which suggest that the anisotropic crystalline phase can actually support faster ion transport than the amorphous phase along certain directions dictated by the morphology of the polymeric chains. Predictions also support the viewpoint that ceramic fillers improve ionic conductivity and cation transport number via interphasial effects.

  19. Promising Cell Configuration for Next-Generation Energy Storage: Li2S/Graphite Battery Enabled by a Solvate Ionic Liquid Electrolyte.

    PubMed

    Li, Zhe; Zhang, Shiguo; Terada, Shoshi; Ma, Xiaofeng; Ikeda, Kohei; Kamei, Yutaro; Zhang, Ce; Dokko, Kaoru; Watanabe, Masayoshi

    2016-06-29

    Lithium-ion sulfur batteries with a [graphite|solvate ionic liquid electrolyte|lithium sulfide (Li2S)] structure are developed to realize high performance batteries without the issue of lithium anode. Li2S has recently emerged as a promising cathode material, due to its high theoretical specific capacity of 1166 mAh/g and its great potential in the development of lithium-ion sulfur batteries with a lithium-free anode such as graphite. Unfortunately, the electrochemical Li(+) intercalation/deintercalation in graphite is highly electrolyte-selective: whereas the process works well in the carbonate electrolytes inherited from Li-ion batteries, it cannot take place in the ether electrolytes commonly used for Li-S batteries, because the cointercalation of the solvent destroys the crystalline structure of graphite. Thus, only very few studies have focused on graphite-based Li-S full cells. In this work, simple graphite-based Li-S full cells were fabricated employing electrolytes beyond the conventional carbonates, in combination with highly loaded Li2S/graphene composite cathodes (Li2S loading: 2.2 mg/cm(2)). In particular, solvate ionic liquids can act as a single-phase electrolyte simultaneously compatible with both the Li2S cathode and the graphite anode and can further improve the battery performance by suppressing the shuttle effect. Consequently, these lithium-ion sulfur batteries show a stable and reversible charge-discharge behavior, along with a very high Coulombic efficiency.

  20. Synergistic effects of mixing sulfone and ionic liquid as safe electrolytes for lithium sulfur batteries.

    PubMed

    Liao, Chen; Guo, Bingkun; Sun, Xiao-Guang; Dai, Sheng

    2015-01-01

    A strategy of mixing both an ionic liquid and sulfone is reported to give synergistic effects of reducing viscosity, increasing ionic conductivity, reducing polysulfide dissolution, and improving safety. The mixtures of ionic liquids and sulfones also show distinctly different physicochemical properties, including thermal properties and crystallization behavior. By using these electrolytes, lithium sulfur batteries assembled with lithium and mesoporous carbon composites show a reversible specific capacity of 1265 mAh g(-1) (second cycle) by using 40 % 1.0 M lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) in N-methyl-N-propylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide with 60 % 1.0 M LiTFSI in methylisopropylsulfone in the first cycle. This capacity is slightly lower than that obtained in pure 1.0 M LiTFSI as the sulfone electrolyte; however, it exhibits excellent cycling stability and remains as high as 655 mAh g(-1) even after 50 cycles. This strategy provides a method to alleviate polysulfide dissolution and redox shuttle phenomena, at the same time, with improved ionic conductivity. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  1. Three-dimensional ionic conduction in the strained electrolytes of solid oxide fuel cells

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Han, Yupei; Zou, Minda; Lv, Weiqiang

    2016-05-07

    Flexible power sources including fuel cells and batteries are the key to realizing flexible electronic devices with pronounced foldability. To understand the bending effects in these devices, theoretical analysis on three-dimensional (3-D) lattice bending is necessary. In this report, we derive a 3-D analytical model to analyze the effects of electrolyte crystal bending on ionic conductivity in flexible solid-state batteries/fuel cells. By employing solid oxide fuel cells as a materials' platform, the intrinsic parameters of bent electrolyte materials, including lattice constant, Young's modulus, and Poisson ratio, are evaluated. Our work facilitates the rational design of highly efficient flexible electrolytes formore » high-performance flexible device applications.« less

  2. Ionic Liquid Hybrid Electrolytes for Lithium-Ion Batteries: A Key Role of the Separator-Electrolyte Interface in Battery Electrochemistry.

    PubMed

    Huie, Matthew M; DiLeo, Roberta A; Marschilok, Amy C; Takeuchi, Kenneth J; Takeuchi, Esther S

    2015-06-10

    Batteries are multicomponent systems where the theoretical voltage and stoichiometric electron transfer are defined by the electrochemically active anode and cathode materials. While the electrolyte may not be considered in stoichiometric electron-transfer calculations, it can be a critical factor determining the deliverable energy content of a battery, depending also on the use conditions. The development of ionic liquid (IL)-based electrolytes has been a research area of recent reports by other researchers, due, in part, to opportunities for an expanded high-voltage operating window and improved safety through the reduction of flammable solvent content. The study reported here encompasses a systematic investigation of the physical properties of IL-based hybrid electrolytes including quantitative characterization of the electrolyte-separator interface via contact-angle measurements. An inverse trend in the conductivity and wetting properties was observed for a series of IL-based electrolyte candidates. Test-cell measurements were undertaken to evaluate the electrolyte performance in the presence of functioning anode and cathode materials, where several promising IL-based hybrid electrolytes with performance comparable to that of conventional carbonate electrolytes were identified. The study revealed that the contact angle influenced the performance more significantly than the conductivity because the cells containing IL-tetrafluoroborate-based electrolytes with higher conductivity but poorer wetting showed significantly decreased performance relative to the cells containing IL-bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide electrolytes with lower conductivity but improved wetting properties. This work contributes to the development of new IL battery-based electrolyte systems with the potential to improve the deliverable energy content as well as safety of lithium-ion battery systems.

  3. Optimization of Pore Structure of Cathodic Carbon Supports for Solvate Ionic Liquid Electrolytes Based Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Shiguo; Ikoma, Ai; Li, Zhe; Ueno, Kazuhide; Ma, Xiaofeng; Dokko, Kaoru; Watanabe, Masayoshi

    2016-10-04

    Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are a promising energy-storage technology owing to their high theoretical capacity and energy density. However, their practical application remains a challenge because of the serve shuttle effect caused by the dissolution of polysulfides in common organic electrolytes. Polysulfide-insoluble electrolytes, such as solvate ionic liquids (ILs), have recently emerged as alternative candidates and shown great potential in suppressing the shuttle effect and improving the cycle stability of Li-S batteries. Redox electrochemical reactions in polysulfide-insoluble electrolytes occur via a solid-state process at the interphase between the electrolyte and the composite cathode; therefore, creating an appropriate interface between sulfur and a carbon support is of great importance. Nevertheless, the porous carbon supports established for conventional organic electrolytes may not be suitable for polysulfide-insoluble electrolytes. In this work, we investigated the effect of the porous structure of carbon materials on the Li-S battery performance in polysulfide-insoluble electrolytes using solvate ILs as a model electrolyte. We determined that the pore volume (rather than the surface area) exerts a major influence on the discharge capacity of S composite cathodes. In particular, inverse opal carbons with three-dimensionally ordered interconnected macropores and a large pore volume deliver the highest discharge capacity. The battery performance in both polysulfide-soluble electrolytes and solvate ILs was used to study the effect of electrolytes. We propose a plausible mechanism to explain the different porous structure requirements in polysulfide-soluble and polysulfide-insoluble electrolytes.

  4. A Rechargeable Al/S Battery with an Ionic-Liquid Electrolyte.

    PubMed

    Gao, Tao; Li, Xiaogang; Wang, Xiwen; Hu, Junkai; Han, Fudong; Fan, Xiulin; Suo, Liumin; Pearse, Alex J; Lee, Sang Bok; Rubloff, Gary W; Gaskell, Karen J; Noked, Malachi; Wang, Chunsheng

    2016-08-16

    Aluminum metal is a promising anode material for next generation rechargeable batteries owing to its abundance, potentially dendrite-free deposition, and high capacity. The rechargeable aluminum/sulfur (Al/S) battery is of great interest owing to its high energy density (1340 Wh kg(-1) ) and low cost. However, Al/S chemistry suffers poor reversibility owing to the difficulty of oxidizing AlSx . Herein, we demonstrate the first reversible Al/S battery in ionic-liquid electrolyte with an activated carbon cloth/sulfur composite cathode. Electrochemical, spectroscopic, and microscopic results suggest that sulfur undergoes a solid-state conversion reaction in the electrolyte. Kinetics analysis identifies that the slow solid-state sulfur conversion reaction causes large voltage hysteresis and limits the energy efficiency of the system. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  5. Electrochemical and structural characterization of polymer gel electrolytes based on a PEO copolymer and an imidazolium-based ionic liquid for dye-sensitized solar cells.

    PubMed

    Freitas, Flavio S; de Freitas, Jilian N; Ito, Bruno I; De Paoli, Marco-A; Nogueira, Ana F

    2009-12-01

    Polymer electrolytes based on mixtures of poly(ethylene oxide-co-propylene oxide) and 1-methyl-3-propyl-imidazolium iodide (MPII) were investigated, aiming at their application in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). The interactions between the copolymer and the ionic liquid were analyzed by infrared spectroscopy and (1)H NMR. The results show interactions between the ether oxygen in the polymer and the hydrogen in the imidazolium cations. The ionic conductivities, electrochemical behaviors, and thermal properties of the electrolytes containing different concentrations of MPII were investigated. The electrolyte containing 70 wt % MPII presented the highest ionic conductivity (2.4 x 10(-3) S cm(-1)) and a diffusion coefficient of 1.9 x 10(-7) cm(2) s(-1). The influence of LiI addition to the electrolytes containing different concentrations of MPII was also investigated. The DSSC assembled with the electrolyte containing 70 wt % MPII showed an efficiency of 3.84% at 100 mW cm(-2). The stability of the devices for a period of 30 days was also evaluated using sealed cells. The devices assembled with the electrolyte containing less ionic liquid showed to be more stable.

  6. Life Support Catalyst Regeneration Using Ionic Liquids and In Situ Resources

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Abney, Morgan B.; Karr, Laurel J.; Paley, Mark S.; Donovan, David N.; Kramer, Teersa J.

    2016-01-01

    Oxygen recovery from metabolic carbon dioxide is an enabling capability for long-duration manned space flight. Complete recovery of oxygen (100%) involves the production of solid carbon. Catalytic approaches for this purpose, such as Bosch technology, have been limited in trade analyses due in part to the mass penalty for high catalyst resupply caused by carbon fouling of the iron or nickel catalyst. In an effort to mitigate this challenge, several technology approaches have been proposed. These approaches have included methods to prolong the life of the catalysts by increasing the total carbon mass loading per mass catalyst, methods for simplified catalyst introduction and removal to limit the resupply container mass, methods of using in situ resources, and methods to regenerate catalyst material. Research and development into these methods is ongoing, but only use of in situ resources and/or complete regeneration of catalyst material has the potential to entirely eliminate the need for resupply. The use of ionic liquids provides an opportunity to combine these methods in a technology approach designed to eliminate the need for resupply of oxygen recovery catalyst. Here we describe the results of an initial feasibility study using ionic liquids and in situ resources for life support catalyst regeneration, we discuss the key challenges with the approach, and we propose future efforts to advance the technology.

  7. Perfluoro anion based binary and ternary ionic liquids as electrolytes for dye-sensitized solar cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Hsi-Hsin; Peng, Jia-De; Suryanarayanan, V.; Velayutham, D.; Ho, Kuo-Chuan

    2016-04-01

    In this work, eight new ionic liquids (ILs) based on triethylammonium (TEA) or n-methylpiperidinium (NMP) cations and perfluoro carboxylate (PFC) anions having different carbon chain lengths are synthesized and their physico-chemical properties such as density, decomposition temperature, viscosity and conductivity are determined. Photovoltaic characteristics of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) with binary ionic liquids electrolytes, containing the mixture of the synthesized ILs and 1-methyl-3-propyl imidazolium iodide (PMII) (v/v = 35/65), are evaluated. Among the different ILs, solar cells containing NMP based ILs show higher VOC than that of TEA, whereas, higher JSC is noted for the DSSCs incorporated with the latter when compared to the former. Further, the photo-current of the DSSCs decreases with the increase of the carbon chain length of perfluoro carboxylate anionic group of ILs. The cell performance of the DSSC containing ternary ionic liquids-based electrolytes compose of NMP-2C/TEA-2C/PMII (v/v/v = 28/7/65) exhibits a JSC of 12.99 mA cm-2, a VOC of 639.0 mV, a FF of 0.72, and a cell efficiency of 6.01%. The extraordinary durability of the DSSC containing the above combination of electrolytes stored in dark at 50 °C is proved to be unfailing up to 1200 h.

  8. Self-doped microphase separated block copolymer electrolyte

    DOEpatents

    Mayes, Anne M.; Sadoway, Donald R.; Banerjee, Pallab; Soo, Philip; Huang, Biying

    2002-01-01

    A polymer electrolyte includes a self-doped microphase separated block copolymer including at least one ionically conductive block and at least one second block that is immiscible in the ionically conductive block, an anion immobilized on the polymer electrolyte and a cationic species. The ionically conductive block provides a continuous ionically conductive pathway through the electrolyte. The electrolyte may be used as an electrolyte in an electrochemical cell.

  9. Simultaneous improvement in ionic conductivity and flexibility of solid polymer electrolytes for thin film lithium ion batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ji, Jianying

    Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) provide advantages over liquid electrolytes in terms of safety, reliability, less temperature sensitive, and simplicity of design. With the use of a SPE in lithium batteries, high specific energy and specific power, safe operation, flexibility in packaging, and low cost of fabrication can be expected. However, after 30 years, SPEs have rarely found commercial success due to the low ionic conductivity and/or insufficient mechanical properties, both of which are related to the movement of the polymer chains. Many physical/chemical methods have been exploited to simultaneously create enhancement in ionic conductivity and mechanical properties, and some suggested ways have shown promise. However, the complex strategies have always introduced other challenge issues and incurred extra costs for manufacturing. In such a context, the development of dry solid state electrolytes is the central challenge to be faced worldwide. This thesis deals with the approaches to improving ionic conductivity and mechanical properties simultaneously. The method is to apply two kinds of controllable organic fillers: copolymer and protein. Our work revealed that the commercial available copolymer, poly (ethylene oxide)- block-polyethylene (PEO-b-PE), possesses a capability for enhancing the multiple performances of poly(ethylene oxide)(PEO)-based polymer electrolyte. And the effects of composition and molecular weight of the copolymers on performance of the resulting SPEs were examined. It was found that increasing the PE block percentage in the copolymer resulted in a significant increase in both ionic conductivity and mechanical properties, while increasing the molecular weight of the copolymer resulted in better mechanical properties, and an identical ionic conductivity. A rubber-like, soy protein-based SPE (s-SPE)was obtained by employing soy protein isolate (SPI), a soy product usually used as rigid fillers for enhancing mechanical properties of

  10. Acidic Ionic Liquids.

    PubMed

    Amarasekara, Ananda S

    2016-05-25

    Ionic liquid with acidic properties is an important branch in the wide ionic liquid field and the aim of this article is to cover all aspects of these acidic ionic liquids, especially focusing on the developments in the last four years. The structural diversity and synthesis of acidic ionic liquids are discussed in the introduction sections of this review. In addition, an unambiguous classification system for various types of acidic ionic liquids is presented in the introduction. The physical properties including acidity, thermo-physical properties, ionic conductivity, spectroscopy, and computational studies on acidic ionic liquids are covered in the next sections. The final section provides a comprehensive review on applications of acidic ionic liquids in a wide array of fields including catalysis, CO2 fixation, ionogel, electrolyte, fuel-cell, membrane, biomass processing, biodiesel synthesis, desulfurization of gasoline/diesel, metal processing, and metal electrodeposition.

  11. Electrochemical Behavior of PEDOT/Lignin in Ionic Liquid Electrolytes: Suitable Cathode/Electrolyte System for Sodium Batteries.

    PubMed

    Casado, Nerea; Hilder, Matthias; Pozo-Gonzalo, Cristina; Forsyth, Maria; Mecerreyes, David

    2017-04-22

    Biomass-derived polymers, such as lignin, contain quinone/ hydroquinone redox moieties that can be used to store charge. Composites based on the biopolymer lignin and several conjugated polymers have shown good charge-storage properties. However, their performance has been only studied in acidic aqueous media limiting their applications mainly to supercapacitors. Here, we show that PEDOT/lignin (PEDOT: poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)) biopolymers are electroactive in aprotic ionic liquids (ILs) and we move a step further by assembling sodium full cell batteries using PEDOT/lignin as electrode material and IL electrolytes. Thus, the electrochemical activity and cycling of PEDOT/lignin electrodes was investigated in 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (BMPyrTFSI), 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (BMPyrFSI), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (EMImTFSI) and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (EMImFSI) IL electrolytes. The effects of water and sodium salt addition to the ILs were investigated to obtain optimum electrolyte systems for sodium batteries. Finally, sodium batteries based on PEDOT/lignin cathode with imidazolium-based IL electrolyte showed higher capacity values than pyrrolidinium ones, reaching 70 mAhg -1 . Our results demonstrate that PEDOT/lignin composites can serve as low cost and sustainable cathode materials for sodium batteries. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Thermostable gel polymer electrolyte based on succinonitrile and ionic liquid for high-performance solid-state supercapacitors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pandey, Gaind P.; Liu, Tao; Hancock, Cody; Li, Yonghui; Sun, Xiuzhi Susan; Li, Jun

    2016-10-01

    A flexible, free-standing, thermostable gel polymer electrolyte based on plastic crystalline succinonitrile (SN) and ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (BMImBF4) entrapped in copolymer poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVdF-HFP) is prepared and optimized for application in solvent-free solid-state supercapacitors. The synthesized gel polymer electrolyte exhibits a high ionic conductivity over a wide temperature range (from ∼5 × 10-4 S cm-1 at -30 °C up to ∼1.5 × 10-2 S cm-1 at 80 °C) with good electrochemical stability window (-2.9 to 2.5 V). Thermal studies confirm that the SN containing gel polymer electrolyte remains stable in the same gel phase over a wide temperature range from -30 to 90 °C. The electric double layer capacitors (EDLCs) have been fabricated using activated carbon as active materials and new gel polymer electrolytes. Electrochemical performance of the EDLCs is assessed through cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge cycling and impedance spectroscopy. The EDLC cells with the proper SN-containing gel polymer electrolyte has been found to give high specific capacitance 176 F g-1 at 0.18 A g-1 and 138 F g-1 at 8 A g-1. These solid-state EDLC cells show good cycling stability and the capability to retain ∼80% of the initial capacitance after 10,000 cycles.

  13. Novel choline-based ionic liquids as safe electrolytes for high-voltage lithium-ion batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yong, Tianqiao; Zhang, Lingzhi; Wang, Jinglun; Mai, Yongjin; Yan, Xiaodan; Zhao, Xinyue

    2016-10-01

    Three choline-based ionic liquids functionalized with trimethylsilyl, allyl, and cynoethyl groups are synthesized in an inexpensive route as safe electrolytes for high-voltage lithium-ion batteries. The thermal stabilities, viscosities, conductivities, and electrochemical windows of these ILs are reported. Hybrid electrolytes were formulated by doping with 0.6 M LiPF6/0.4 M lithium oxalydifluoroborate (LiODFB) as salts and dimethyl carbonate (DMC) as co-solvent. By using 0.6 M LiPF6/0.4 M LiODFB trimethylsilylated choline-based IL (SN1IL-TFSI)/DMC as electrolyte, LiCoO2/graphite full cell showed excellent cycling performance with a capacity of 152 mAh g-1 and 99% capacity retention over 90 cycles at a cut-off voltage of 4.4 V. The propagation rate of SN1IL-TFSI)/DMC electrolyte is only one quarter of the commercial electrolyte (1 M LiPF6 EC/DEC/DMC, v/v/v = 1/1/1), suggesting a better safety feature.

  14. Development of regenerated cellulose/halloysite nanotube bionanocomposite films with ionic liquid.

    PubMed

    Soheilmoghaddam, Mohammad; Wahit, Mat Uzir

    2013-07-01

    In this study, novel nanocomposite films based on regenerated cellulose/halloysite nanotube (RC/HNT) have been prepared using an environmentally friendly ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BMIMCl) through a simple green method. The structural, morphological, thermal and mechanical properties of the RC/HNT nanocomposites were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), thermal analysis and tensile strength measurements. The results obtained revealed interactions between the halloysite nanotubes and regenerated cellulose matrix. The thermal stability and mechanical properties of the nanocomposite films, compared with pure regenerated cellulose film, were significantly improved When the halloysite nanotube (HNT) loading was only 2 wt.%, the 20% weight loss temperature (T20) increased 20°C. The Young's modulus increased from 1.8 to 4.1 GPa, while tensile strength increased from 35.30 to 60.50 MPa when 8 wt.% halloysite nanotube (HNT) was incorporated, interestingly without loss of ductility. The nanocomposite films exhibited improved oxygen barrier properties and water absorption resistance compared to regenerated cellulose. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Synthesis of Mesoporous Carbons from Rice Husk for Supercapacitors with High Energy Density in Ionic Liquid Electrolytes.

    PubMed

    He, Xiaojun; Zhang, Hebao; Xie, Kang; Xia, Youyi; Zhao, Zhigang; Wang, Xiaoting

    2016-03-01

    High-performance mesoporous carbons (MCs) for supercapacitors were made from rice husk by one-step microwave-assisted ZnCl2 activation. The microstructures of MCs as-made were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The pore structure parameters of MCs were obtained by N2 adsorption technique. The electrochemical properties of MC electrodes were studied by constant current charge-discharge, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in different electrolytes. The results showed that the specific surface area of MC4 made at the ZnCl2/rice husk mass of 4:1 reached 1737 m2 g(-1). The specific capacitance and energy density of the electrodes fabricated from the mixture of MC4 and microporous carbon increased with the mass percentage of MC4, reaching 157 F g(-1) and 84 Wh kg(-1) at 0.05 A g(-1), and showed good cycle stability in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate electrolyte. Compared to the often-used aqueous and organic electrolytes, MC4 capacitor exhibited extremely high energy density in ionic liquid electrolyte, remaining at 28 Wh kg(-1) at 1684 W kg(-1). This work paves a new way to produce cost-effective MCs from biomass for supercapacitors with extremely high energy density in ionic liquid electrolytes.

  16. A mixture of triethylphosphate and ethylene carbonate as a safe additive for ionic liquid-based electrolytes of lithium ion batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lalia, Boor Singh; Yoshimoto, Nobuko; Egashira, Minato; Morita, Masayuki

    A binary mixture of triethylphosphate (TEP) and ethylene carbonate (EC) has been examined as a new non-flammable additive for ionic liquid-based electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries. The optimized electrolyte composition consists of 0.6 mol dm -3 (=M) LiTFSI in PP13TFSI mixed with TEP and EC in volume ratio of 80:10:10, where TFSI and PP13 denote bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide and N-methyl- N-propylpiperidinium, respectively. The ionic conductivity of PP13TFSI dissolving 0.4 M LiTFSI was improved from 8.2 × 10 -4 S cm -1 to 3.5 × 10 -3 S cm -1 (at 20 °C) with the addition of TEP and EC. The electrochemical behavior of 0.4 M LiTFSI/PP13TFSI with and without TEP and EC was studied by cyclic voltammetry, which showed no deteriorating effect by the addition of TEP and EC on the electrochemical window of PP13TFSI. The flammability of the electrolyte was tested by a direct flame test. The proposed ionic liquid-based electrolyte revealed significant improvements in the electrochemical charge-discharge characteristics for both graphite negative and LiMn 2O 4 positive electrodes.

  17. How Does the Alkyl Chain Length of an Ionic Liquid Influence Solute Rotation in the Presence of an Electrolyte?

    PubMed

    Prabhu, Sugosh R; Dutt, G B

    2016-12-29

    Fluorescence anisotropies of a nonpolar solute, 9-phenylanthracene (9-PA), have been measured in 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium (alkyl = methyl, butyl, octyl, and dodecyl) bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imides ([RMIM][Tf 2 N]) with varying amounts (0-0.3 mole fraction) of lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (LiTf 2 N). This study has been carried out to understand how the length of the alkyl chain and the concentration of the electrolyte influence the rotational diffusion of a nonpolar solute. It has been observed that the addition of an electrolyte to the ionic liquid increases the bulk viscosity of the system significantly, as the Li + cations strongly coordinate with the [Tf 2 N] anions in the polar domains. The reorientation times of 9-PA have been analyzed with the aid of Stokes-Einstein-Debye hydrodynamic (SED) theory, and they fall within the broad limits set by the hydrodynamic slip and stick boundary conditions. However, deviations from the SED theory have been noticed upon addition of LiTf 2 N, and the influence of the electrolyte is more pronounced in the case of ionic liquids with shorter alkyl chains. The observed trends have been rationalized in terms of electrolyte-induced structural changes in these ionic liquids.

  18. Structure and mechanisms underlying ion transport in ternary polymer electrolytes containing ionic liquids

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mogurampelly, Santosh; Ganesan, Venkat

    2017-02-01

    We use all atom molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the influence of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BMIMPF6) ionic liquid on the structure and transport properties of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) polymer electrolytes doped with LiPF6 salt. We observe enhanced diffusivities of the Li+, PF6-, and BMIM+ ions with increasing loading of the ionic liquid. Interplay between the different ion-ion and ion-polymer interactions is seen to lead to a destabilization of the Li-PF6 coordination and increase in the strength of association between the Li+ cations and the polymer backbone. As a consequence, the polymer segmental relaxation times are shown to be only moderately affected by the addition of ionic liquids. The ionic-liquid induced changes in the mobilities of Li+ ions are seen to be correlated to polymer segmental relaxation times. However, the mobilities of BMIM+ ions are seen to be more strongly correlated to the BMIM-PF6 ion-pair relaxation times.

  19. Ionic liquids as electrolytes for the development of a robust amperometric oxygen sensor.

    PubMed

    Wang, Zhe; Lin, Peiling; Baker, Gary A; Stetter, Joseph; Zeng, Xiangqun

    2011-09-15

    A simple Clark-type online electrochemical cell design, consisting of a platinum gauze working electrode and incorporating ionic liquids (IL) as electrolytes, has been successfully applied for the amperometric sensing of oxygen. Studying ILs comprising the bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide anion, the obtained analytical parameters were found to be strongly dependent on the choice of cation. Compared with a conventional Clark cell design based on an aqueous supporting electrolyte, the modified oxygen sensor achieves substantial improvements in performance and stability. A limit of detection for oxygen as low as 0.05 vol %, linearity over an oxygen partial pressure between 0% and 20%, and a steady-state response time of 2 min was demonstrated, with a stable analytical response shown over the examined period of 90 days with no obvious fouling of the electrode surface. Based on the attractive physical attributes of ionic liquids (e.g., thermal stability beyond 150 °C), one can envision intriguing utility in nonstandard conditions and long-term online applications, as well as extension to the determination of other gases, such as methane and nitric oxide.

  20. Electrochemical regeneration of phenol-saturated activated carbon - proposal of a reactor.

    PubMed

    Zanella, Odivan; Bilibio, Denise; Priamo, Wagner Luiz; Tessaro, Isabel Cristina; Féris, Liliana Amaral

    2017-03-01

    An electrochemical process was used to investigate the activated carbon regeneration efficiency (RE) saturated with aromatics. For this purpose, an electrochemical reactor was developed and the operational conditions of this equipment were investigated, which is applied in activated carbon regeneration process. The influence of regeneration parameters such as processing time, the current used, the polarity and the processing fluid (electrolyte) were studied. The performance of electrochemical regeneration was evaluated by adsorption tests, using phenol as adsorbate. The increase in current applied and the process time was found to enhance the RE. Another aspect that indicated a better reactor performance was the type of electrolyte used, showing best results for NaCl. The polarity showed the highest influence on the process, when the cathodic regeneration was more efficient. The electrochemical regeneration process developed in this study presented regeneration capacities greater than 100% when the best process conditions were used, showing that this form of regeneration for activated carbon saturated with aromatics is very promising.

  1. Organo-redox shuttle promoted protic ionic liquid electrolyte for supercapacitor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sathyamoorthi, S.; Suryanarayanan, V.; Velayutham, D.

    2015-01-01

    Performance of activated charcoal based supercapacitor (SC) containing hydroquinone (HQ), as an organic redox shuttle, is evaluated in triethylammonium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide (TEATFSI). Cyclic voltammograms of the SC show pseudocapacitive contribution of HQ and the galvanostatic charge-discharge measurement shows enhanced specific capacitance (72.0 F g-1) and specific energy (31.22 Wh Kg-1). The presence of HQ shows low charge transfer resistance, as confirmed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Cyclic stability of the SC in the redox mediated electrolyte is comparable with that of the protic ionic liquid.

  2. Additive-containing ionic liquid electrolytes for secondary lithium battery

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Jinqiang; Yang, Jun; NuLi, Yanna; Wang, Jiulin; Zhang, Zongshuang

    Room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) consisting of N-methyl- N-propylpiperidinium (PP13) cation and bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (TFSI) anion was synthesized and its electrochemical stability was investigated in comparison with 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (BMIBF 4) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BMIPF 6). The electrochemical window of PP13-TFSI (5.8 V versus Li/Li +) is wider than that of BMIBF 4 (4.7 V) and BMIPF 6 (4.5 V). The cathodic limit of the PP13-TFSI is about -0.3 V versus Li/Li +, against 0.7 V for BMIPF 6 and BMIBF 4, so it may be used as the electrolyte for second lithium batteries based on lithium anode. In this work, charge efficiency of lithium plating/striping on nickel substrate and the cycle life have been measured using 0.4 M LiTFSI/PP13-TFSI electrolyte both without and with additives such as vinyl acetate (VA), ethylene sulfite (ES), and ethylene carbonate (EC). Remarkable improvement in cycling efficiency and cycle life was found for EC as additive.

  3. System and process for polarity swing assisted regeneration of gas selective capture liquids

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Heldebrant, David J.; Tegrotenhuis, Ward E.; Freeman, Charles J.

    A polarity swing-assisted regeneration (PSAR) process is disclosed for improving the efficiency of releasing gases chemically bound to switchable ionic liquids. Regeneration of the SWIL involves addition of a quantity of non-polar organic compound as an anti-solvent to destabilize the SWIL, which aids in release of the chemically bound gas. The PSAR decreases gas loading of a SWIL at a given temperature and increases the rate of gas release compared to heating in the absence of anti-solvent.

  4. General method to predict voltage-dependent ionic conduction in a solid electrolyte coating on electrodes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pan, Jie; Cheng, Yang-Tse; Qi, Yue

    2015-04-01

    Understanding the ionic conduction in solid electrolytes in contact with electrodes is vitally important to many applications, such as lithium ion batteries. The problem is complex because both the internal properties of the materials (e.g., electronic structure) and the characteristics of the externally contacting phases (e.g., voltage of the electrode) affect defect formation and transport. In this paper, we developed a method based on density functional theory to study the physics of defects in a solid electrolyte in equilibrium with an external environment. This method was then applied to predict the ionic conduction in lithium fluoride (LiF), in contact with different electrodes which serve as reservoirs with adjustable Li chemical potential (μLi) for defect formation. LiF was chosen because it is a major component in the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formed on lithium ion battery electrodes. Seventeen possible native defects with their relevant charge states in LiF were investigated to determine the dominant defect types on various electrodes. The diffusion barrier of dominant defects was calculated by the climbed nudged elastic band method. The ionic conductivity was then obtained from the concentration and mobility of defects using the Nernst-Einstein relationship. Three regions for defect formation were identified as a function of μLi: (1) intrinsic, (2) transitional, and (3) p -type region. In the intrinsic region (high μLi, typical for LiF on the negative electrode), the main defects are Schottky pairs and in the p -type region (low μLi, typical for LiF on the positive electrode) are Li ion vacancies. The ionic conductivity is calculated to be approximately 10-31Scm-1 when LiF is in contact with a negative electrode but it can increase to 10-12Scm-1 on a positive electrode. This insight suggests that divalent cation (e.g., Mg2+) doping is necessary to improve Li ion transport through the engineered LiF coating, especially for LiF on negative

  5. Atomistic origin of superior performance of ionic liquid electrolytes for Al-ion batteries.

    PubMed

    Kamath, Ganesh; Narayanan, Badri; Sankaranarayanan, Subramanian K R S

    2014-10-14

    Encouraged by recent experimental findings, here we report on an in silico investigation to probe the atomistic origin behind the superior performance of ionic liquids (ILs) over traditional carbonate electrolytes for Al-ion batteries. Fundamental insights from computationally derived thermodynamic and kinetic considerations coupled with an atomistic-level description of the solvation dynamics is used to elucidate the performance improvements. The formation of low-stability ion-solvent complexes in ILs facilitates rapid Al-ion solvation-desolvation and translates into favorable transport properties (viscosity and ionic conductivity). Our results offer encouraging prospects for this approach in the a priori prediction of optimal IL formulations for Al-ion batteries.

  6. Micellar Electrolytes in Organic Electrochemical Transistors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cicoira, Fabio; Giuseppe, Tarabella; Nanda, Gaurav; Iannotta, Salvatore; Santato, Clara

    2012-02-01

    Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) are promising for applications in sensing and bioelectronics. OECTs consist of a conducting polymer film (transistor channel) in contact with an electrolyte. A gate electrode immersed in the electrolyte controls the doping/dedoping level of the conducting polymer. OECTs can be operated in aqueous electrolytes, making possible the implementation of organic electronic materials at the interface with biology. The inherent signal amplification of OECTs has the potential to yield sensors with low detection limits and high sensitivity. In this talk we will present recent studies on OECTs using ionic surfactants (such as hexadecyl-trimethyl-ammonium bromide) as electrolytes. As the conducting polymer we used PEDOT:PSS, i.e. (Poly,3-4 ethylenedioxythiopene) doped with Poly(styrene sulphonate). Interestingly, ionic surfactant electrolytes result in large transistor current modulation, especially beyond the critical micellar concentration (CMC). Since micelles play a primary role in biological processes and drug-delivery systems, the use for micellar electrolytes opens new exciting opportunities for the use of OECTs in bioelectronics.

  7. Gel polymer electrolytes for batteries

    DOEpatents

    Balsara, Nitash Pervez; Eitouni, Hany Basam; Gur, Ilan; Singh, Mohit; Hudson, William

    2014-11-18

    Nanostructured gel polymer electrolytes that have both high ionic conductivity and high mechanical strength are disclosed. The electrolytes have at least two domains--one domain contains an ionically-conductive gel polymer and the other domain contains a rigid polymer that provides structure for the electrolyte. The domains are formed by block copolymers. The first block provides a polymer matrix that may or may not be conductive on by itself, but that can soak up a liquid electrolyte, thereby making a gel. An exemplary nanostructured gel polymer electrolyte has an ionic conductivity of at least 1.times.10.sup.-4 S cm.sup.-1 at 25.degree. C.

  8. Bionanocomposites of regenerated cellulose/zeolite prepared using environmentally benign ionic liquid solvent.

    PubMed

    Soheilmoghaddam, Mohammad; Wahit, Mat Uzir; Tuck Whye, Wong; Ibrahim Akos, Noel; Heidar Pour, Raheleh; Ali Yussuf, Abdirahman

    2014-06-15

    Bionanocomposite films based on regenerated cellulose (RC) and incorporated with zeolite at different concentrations were fabricated by dissolving cellulose in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (EMIMCl) ionic liquid using a simple green method. The interactions between the zeolite and the cellulose matrix were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectra. Mechanical properties of the nanocomposite films significantly improved as compared with the pure regenerated cellulose film, without the loss of extensibility. Zeolite incorporation enhanced the thermal stability and char yield of the nanocomposites. The scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy showed that zeolite was uniformly dispersed in the regenerated cellulose matrix. In vitro cytotoxicity test demonstrated that both RC and RC/zeolite nanocomposite films are cytocompatible. These results indicate that the prepared nanocomposites have potential applications in biodegradable packaging, membranes and biomedical areas. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. WtF‐Nano: One‐Pot Dewatering and Water‐Free Topochemical Modification of Nanocellulose in Ionic Liquids or γ‐Valerolactone

    PubMed Central

    Laaksonen, Tiina; Helminen, Jussi K. J.; Lemetti, Laura; Långbacka, Jesper; Rico del Cerro, Daniel; Hummel, Michael; Rantamäki, Antti H.; Kakko, Tia; Kemell, Marianna L.; Wiedmer, Susanne K.; Heikkinen, Sami; Kilpeläinen, Ilkka

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Ionic liquids are used to dewater a suspension of birch Kraft pulp cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) and as a medium for water‐free topochemical modification of the nanocellulose (a process denoted as “WtF‐Nano”). Acetylation was applied as a model reaction to investigate the degree of modification and scope of effective ionic liquid structures. Little difference in reactivity was observed when water was removed, after introduction of an ionic liquid or molecular co‐solvent. However, the viscoelastic properties of the CNF suspended in two ionic liquids show that the more basic, but non‐dissolving ionic liquid, allows for better solvation of the CNF. Vibrio fischeri bacterial tests show that all ionic liquids in this study were harmless. Scanning electron microscopy and wide‐angle X‐ray scattering on regenerated samples show that the acetylated CNF is still in a fibrillar form. 1 D and 2 D NMR analyses, after direct dissolution in a novel ionic liquid electrolyte solution, indicate that both cellulose and residual xylan on the surface of the nanofibrils reacts to give acetate esters. PMID:29112334

  10. Separators for Li-Ion and Li-Metal Battery Including Ionic Liquid Based Electrolytes Based on the TFSI− and FSI− Anions

    PubMed Central

    Kirchhöfer, Marija; von Zamory, Jan; Paillard, Elie; Passerini, Stefano

    2014-01-01

    The characterization of separators for Li-ion or Li-metal batteries incorporating hydrophobic ionic liquid electrolytes is reported herein. Ionic liquids made of N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium (PYR14+) or N-methoxyethyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium (PYR12O1+), paired with bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (TFSI−) or bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (FSI−) anions, were tested in combination with separators having different chemistries and morphologies in terms of wetting behavior, Gurley and McMullin number, as well as Li/(Separator + Electrolyte) interfacial properties. It is shown that non-functionalized microporous polyolefin separators are poorly wetted by FSI−-based electrolytes (contrary to TFSI−-based electrolytes), while the ceramic coated separator Separion® allows good wetting with all electrolytes. Furthermore, by comparing the lithium solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) resistance evolution at open circuit and during cycling, depending on separator morphologies and chemistries, it is possible to propose a scale for SEI forming properties in the order: PYR12O1FSI > PYR14FSI > PYR14TFSI > PYR12O1TFSI. Finally, the impact the separator morphology is evidenced by the SEI resistance evolution and by comparing Li electrodes cycled using separators with two different morphologies. PMID:25153637

  11. An Electrochemical NO2 Sensor Based on Ionic Liquid: Influence of the Morphology of the Polymer Electrolyte on Sensor Sensitivity

    PubMed Central

    Kuberský, Petr; Altšmíd, Jakub; Hamáček, Aleš; Nešpůrek, Stanislav; Zmeškal, Oldřich

    2015-01-01

    A systematic study was carried out to investigate the effect of ionic liquid in solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) and its layer morphology on the characteristics of an electrochemical amperometric nitrogen dioxide sensor. Five different ionic liquids were immobilized into a solid polymer electrolyte and key sensor parameters (sensitivity, response/recovery times, hysteresis and limit of detection) were characterized. The study revealed that the sensor based on 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([EMIM][N(Tf)2]) showed the best sensitivity, fast response/recovery times, and low sensor response hysteresis. The working electrode, deposited from water-based carbon nanotube ink, was prepared by aerosol-jet printing technology. It was observed that the thermal treatment and crystallinity of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) in the solid polymer electrolyte influenced the sensitivity. Picture analysis of the morphology of the SPE layer based on [EMIM][N(Tf)2] ionic liquid treated under different conditions suggests that the sensor sensitivity strongly depends on the fractal dimension of PVDF spherical objects in SPE. Their deformation, e.g., due to crowding, leads to a decrease in sensor sensitivity. PMID:26569248

  12. Ionomer-Liquid Electrolyte Hybrid Ionic Conductor for High Cycling Stability of Lithium Metal Electrodes

    PubMed Central

    Song, Jongchan; Lee, Hongkyung; Choo, Min-Ju; Park, Jung-Ki; Kim, Hee-Tak

    2015-01-01

    The inhomogeneous Li electrodeposition of lithium metal electrode has been a major impediment to the realization of rechargeable lithium metal batteries. Although single ion conducting ionomers can induce more homogeneous Li electrodeposition by preventing Li+ depletion at Li surface, currently available materials do not allow room-temperature operation due to their low room temperature conductivities. In the paper, we report that a highly conductive ionomer/liquid electrolyte hybrid layer tightly laminated on Li metal electrode can realize stable Li electrodeposition at high current densities up to 10 mA cm−2 and permit room-temperature operation of corresponding Li metal batteries with low polarizations. The hybrid layer is fabricated by laminating few micron-thick Nafion layer on Li metal electrode followed by soaking 1 M LiPF6 EC/DEC (1/1) electrolyte. The Li/Li symmetric cell with the hybrid layer stably operates at a high current density of 10 mA cm−2 for more than 2000 h, which corresponds to more than five-fold enhancement compared with bare Li metal electrode. Also, the prototype Li/LiCoO2 battery with the hybrid layer offers cycling stability more than 350 cycles. These results demonstrate that the hybrid strategy successfully combines the advantages of bi-ionic liquid electrolyte (fast Li+ transport) and single ionic ionomer (prevention of Li+ depletion). PMID:26411701

  13. Ionomer-Liquid Electrolyte Hybrid Ionic Conductor for High Cycling Stability of Lithium Metal Electrodes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Song, Jongchan; Lee, Hongkyung; Choo, Min-Ju; Park, Jung-Ki; Kim, Hee-Tak

    2015-09-01

    The inhomogeneous Li electrodeposition of lithium metal electrode has been a major impediment to the realization of rechargeable lithium metal batteries. Although single ion conducting ionomers can induce more homogeneous Li electrodeposition by preventing Li+ depletion at Li surface, currently available materials do not allow room-temperature operation due to their low room temperature conductivities. In the paper, we report that a highly conductive ionomer/liquid electrolyte hybrid layer tightly laminated on Li metal electrode can realize stable Li electrodeposition at high current densities up to 10 mA cm-2 and permit room-temperature operation of corresponding Li metal batteries with low polarizations. The hybrid layer is fabricated by laminating few micron-thick Nafion layer on Li metal electrode followed by soaking 1 M LiPF6 EC/DEC (1/1) electrolyte. The Li/Li symmetric cell with the hybrid layer stably operates at a high current density of 10 mA cm-2 for more than 2000 h, which corresponds to more than five-fold enhancement compared with bare Li metal electrode. Also, the prototype Li/LiCoO2 battery with the hybrid layer offers cycling stability more than 350 cycles. These results demonstrate that the hybrid strategy successfully combines the advantages of bi-ionic liquid electrolyte (fast Li+ transport) and single ionic ionomer (prevention of Li+ depletion).

  14. A mean-field theory on the differential capacitance of asymmetric ionic liquid electrolytes.

    PubMed

    Han, Yining; Huang, Shanghui; Yan, Tianying

    2014-07-16

    The size of ions significantly influences the electric double layer structure of room temperature ionic liquid (IL) electrolytes and their differential capacitance (Cd). In this study, we extended the mean-field theory (MFT) developed independently by Kornyshev (2007J. Phys. Chem. B 111 5545-57) and Kilic, Bazant, and Ajdari (2007 Phys. Rev. E 75 021502) (the KKBA MFT) to take into account the asymmetric 1:1 IL electrolytes by introducing an additional parameter ξ for the anion/cation volume ratio, besides the ionic compressibility γ in the KKBA MFT. The MFT of asymmetric ions becomes KKBA MFT upon ξ = 1, and further reduces to Gouy-Chapman theory in the γ → 0 limit. The result of the extended MFT demonstrates that the asymmetric ILs give rise to an asymmetric Cd, with the higher peak in Cd occurring at positive polarization for the smaller anionic size. At high potential, Cd decays asymptotically toward KKBA MFT characterized by γ for the negative polarization, and characterized by ξγ for the positive polarization, with inverse-square-root behavior. At low potential, around the potential of zero charge, the asymmetric ions cause a higher Cd, which exceeds that of Gouy-Chapman theory.

  15. Iodopropyl-branched polysiloxane gel electrolytes with improved ionic conductivity upon cross-linking.

    PubMed

    De Gregorio, G L; Giannuzzi, R; Cipolla, M P; Agosta, R; Grisorio, R; Capodilupo, A; Suranna, G P; Gigli, G; Manca, M

    2014-11-21

    We here report the implementation of poly[(3-N-methylimidazoliumpropyl)methylsiloxane-co-dimethylsiloxane]iodides as suitable polymeric hosts for a novel class of in situ cross-linkable iodine/iodide-based gel-electrolytes for dye-sensitized solar cells. The polymers are first partially quaternized and then subjected to a thermal cross-linking which allows the formation of a 3D polymeric network which is accompanied by a dramatic enhancement of the ionic conductivity.

  16. Enhanced ionic conductivity in planar sodium-β"-alumina electrolyte for electrochemical energy storage applications.

    PubMed

    La Rosa, Daniela; Monforte, Giuseppe; D'Urso, Claudia; Baglio, Vincenzo; Antonucci, Vincenzo; Aricò, Antonino S

    2010-12-17

    Solid Na-β"-Al₂O₃ electrolyte is prepared by a simple chemical route involving a pseudo-boehmite precursor and thermal treatment. Boehmite powder is used for manufacturing the planar electrolyte with appropriate bulk density after firing at 1500 °C. The structure, morphology, and surface properties of precursor powders and sintered electrolytes are investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). As shown by XRD and TEM analyses, nanometer-sized particles are obtained for the boehmite precursor and a pure crystallographic phase is achieved for the sintered electrolyte. SEM analysis of the cross-section indicates good sintering characteristics. XPS shows a higher Na/Al atomic ratio on the surface for the planar electrolyte compared to a commercial tubular electrolyte (0.57 vs. 0.46). Energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDX) shows an Na/Al ratio in the bulk of 0.16, similar in the two samples. The ionic conductivity of the planar electrolyte is larger than that measured on a commercial tube of sodium-β"-alumina in a wide temperature range. At 350 °C, conductivity values of 0.5 S cm⁻¹ and 0.26 S cm⁻¹ are obtained for the planar electrolyte and the commercial tube, respectively. AC-impedance spectra show smaller grain boundary effects in the planar electrolyte than in the tubular electrolyte. These favorable properties may increase the perspectives for applying planar Na-β"-Al₂O₃ electrolytes in high-temperature batteries.

  17. Response surface method (RSM) for optimization of ionic conductivity of membranes polymer electrolyte poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) with polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) as pore forming agent

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dyartanti, E. R.; Susanto, H.; Widiasa, I. N.; Purwanto, A.

    2017-06-01

    The Membranes Polymer Gel Electrolyte (MPGEs) based poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) was prepared by a phase inversion method using polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) as a pore-forming agent and N, N-dimethyl acetamide (DMAc) as a solvent and water as non solvet. The membranes were then soaked in 1 M lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) in ethylene carbonate (EC) / dimethyl carbonate (DMC) / Diethyl carbonate (DEC) (4:2:4 %vol) solution in order to prepare polymer electrolyte membranes. The MPEGs PVDF/PVP/Nanoclay was applied using central composite design (CCD) experimental design to obtain a quantitative relationship between selected membranes prepared parameters namely (PVDF, PVP as pore forming agent and nanoclay filler concentration) and Ionic conductivity MPEGs. The model was used to find the optimum ionic conductivity from polymer electrolyte membranes. The polymer electrolyte membranes show good ionic conductivity on the order of 6.3 - 8.7 x 10-3 S cm-1 at the ambient temperatures. The ionic conductivity tended to increase with PVP and nanoclay concentration and decrease with PVDF composition. The model predicted the maximum ionic conductivity of 8.47 x 10-3 S cm-1 when the PVDF, PVP and nanoclay concentration were set at 8.01 %, 8.04 % and 10.12%, respectively. The first section in your paper.

  18. Influence of the Ionic Liquid Type on the Gel Polymer Electrolytes Properties

    PubMed Central

    Tafur, Juan P.; Santos, Florencio; Fernández Romero, Antonio J.

    2015-01-01

    Gel Polymer Electrolytes (GPEs) composed by ZnTf2 salt, poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVdF-HFP), and different ionic liquids are synthesized using n-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) as solvent. Three different imidazolium-based ionic liquids containing diverse cations and anions have been explored. Structural and electrical properties of the GPEs varying the ZnTf2 concentration are analyzed by ATR-FTIR, DSC, TG, and cyclic voltammetry. Free salt IL-GPEs present distinct behavior because they are influenced by the different IL cations and anions composition. However, inclusion of ZnTf2 salt inside the polymers provide GPEs with very similar characteristics, pointing out that ionic transport properties are principally caused by Zn2+ and triflate movement. Whatever the IL used, the presence of NMP solvent inside the polymer’s matrix turns out to be a key factor for improving the Zn2+ transport inside the GPE due to the interaction between Zn2+ cations and carbonyl groups of the NMP. High values of ionic conductivity, low activation energy values, and good voltammetric reversibility obtained regardless of the ionic liquid used enable these GPEs to be applied in Zn batteries. Capacities of 110–120 mAh·g−1 have been obtained for Zn/IL-GPE/MnO2 batteries discharged at −1 mA·cm−2. PMID:26610580

  19. Detection of capacity imbalance in vanadium electrolyte and its electrochemical regeneration for all-vanadium redox-flow batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Roznyatovskaya, Nataliya; Herr, Tatjana; Küttinger, Michael; Fühl, Matthias; Noack, Jens; Pinkwart, Karsten; Tübke, Jens

    2016-01-01

    A vanadium electrolyte for redox-flow batteries (VRFB) with different VIII and VIV mole fractions has been studied by UV-vis spectroscopy. Spectrophotometric detection enables a rough estimate of the VIV and VIII content, which can be used to detect an electrolyte capacity imbalance, i.e. a deviation in the mole fraction of VIV or VIII away from 50%. The isosbestic point at 600 nm can be used as a reference point in the analysis of common VRFB electrolyte batches. The VRFB electrolyte is observed to have an imbalance after prolonged storage (a couple of years) in a tank under ambient conditions. A regeneration procedure, which involves pre-charging the unbalanced electrolyte and mixing part of it with a portion of initial unbalanced electrolyte, has been tested. The resulting rebalanced electrolyte has been compared with a common electrolyte in a charge-discharge cell test and is shown to be suitable for cell operation.

  20. First Principles Modeling of Structure and Transport in Solid Polymer Electrolytes, Ionic Liquids, and Methanol/Water Mixtures

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-02-10

    potential in making high- performance solid state lithium ion batteries [1,2]. Among them, the polyethylene oxide-alkali salts systems PEO6:XPF6 (X = H...electrolytes for magnesium batteries incorporating chloro- or iodo- ionic liquids. Much of this work was done in collaboration with the experimental group...magnesium batteries incorporating chloro- or iodo- ionic liquids. Much of this work was done in collaboration with the experimental group of Prof. Vito Di

  1. Electrochemistry of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-polyaniline/ Prussian blue electrochromic devices containing an ionic liquid based gel electrolyte film.

    PubMed

    Deepa, Melepurath; Awadhia, Arvind; Bhandari, Shweta

    2009-07-21

    Electrochromic devices based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) as the cathodic coloring electrode and polyaniline (PANI) or Prussian blue (PB) as the counter electrode containing a highly conductive, self-supporting, distensible and transparent polymer-gel electrolyte film encapsulating an ionic liquid, 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidiniumbis-(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, have been fabricated. Polarization, charge transfer and diffusion processes control the electrochemistry of the functional electrodes during coloration and bleaching and these phenomena differ when PEDOT and PANI/PB were employed alternately as working electrodes. While the electrochemical impedance response shows good similitude for PEDOT and PANI electrodes, the responses of PEDOT and PB were significantly different in the PEDOT-PB device, especially during reduction of PB, wherein the overall amplitude of the impedance response is enormous. Large values of the coloration efficiency maxima of 281 cm2 C(-1) (lambda = 583 nm) and 274 cm2 C(-1) (lambda = 602 nm), achieved at -1.0 and -1.5 V for the PEDOT PANI and PEDOT-PB devices have been correlated to the particularly low magnitude of charge transfer resistance and high polarization capacitance operative at the PEDOT ionic liquid based electrolyte interface at these dc potentials, thus allowing facile ion-transport and consequently resulting in enhanced absorption modulation. Moderately fast switching kinetics and the ability of these devices to sustain about 2500 cycles of clear-to-dark and dark-to-clear without incurring major losses in the optical contrast, along with the ease of construction of these cells in terms of high scalability and reproducibility of the synthetic procedure for fabrication of the electrochromic films and the ionic liquid based gel electrolyte film, are indicators of the promise these devices hold for practical applications like electrochromic windows and displays.

  2. The role of ionic liquid electrolyte in an aluminum–graphite electrochemical cell

    DOE PAGES

    Agiorgousis, Michael L.; Sun, Yi -Yang; Zhang, Shengbai

    2017-02-17

    Using first-principles calculations and molecular dynamics simulation, we study the working mechanism in an aluminum–graphite electrochemical cell, which was recently reported to exhibit attractive performance. We exclude the possibility of Al 3+ cation intercalation into graphite as in standard Li-ion batteries. Instead, we show that the AlCl 4 – anion intercalation mechanism is thermodynamically feasible. By including the ionic liquid electrolyte in the overall redox reaction, we are able to reproduce the high voltage observed in experiment. The active involvement of electrolyte in the reaction suggests that the evaluation of energy density needs to take the electrolyte into consideration. Here,more » our proposed structural model is consistent with the new peaks appearing in X-ray diffraction from the intercalation compound. The high rate capability is explained by the ultralow diffusion barriers of the AlCl 4 intercalant. With the clarified working mechanism, it becomes clear that the high voltage of the Al–graphite cell is a result of the thermodynamic instability of the AlCl 4-intercalated graphite.« less

  3. An ionic electro-active actuator made with graphene film electrode, chitosan and ionic liquid

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    He, Qingsong; Yu, Min; Yang, Xu; Kim, Kwang Jin; Dai, Zhendong

    2015-06-01

    A newly developed ionic electro-active actuator composed of an ionic electrolyte layer sandwiched between two graphene film layers was investigated. Scanning electronic microscopy observation and x-ray diffraction analysis showed that the graphene sheets in the film stacked in a nearly face-to-face fashion but did not restack back to graphite, and the resulting graphene film with low sheet resistance (10 Ω sq-1) adheres well to the electrolyte membrane. Contact angle measurement showed the surface energy (37.98 mJ m-2) of the ionic electrolyte polymer is 2.67 times higher than that (14.2 mJ m-2) of the Nafion membrane, contributing to the good adhesion between the graphene film electrode and the electrolyte membrane. An electric double-layer is formed at the interface between the graphene film electrode and the ionic electrolyte membrane under the input potential, resulting in a higher capacitance of 27.6 mF cm-2. We report that this ionic actuator exhibits adequate bending strain, ranging from 0.032 to 0.1% (305 to 945 μm) as functions of voltage.

  4. Enhanced ionic conductivity with Li 7O 2Br 3 phase in Li 3OBr anti-perovskite solid electrolyte

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhu, Jinlong; Li, Shuai; Zhang, Yi

    Cubic anti-perovskites with general formula Li 3OX (X = Cl, Br, I) were recently reported as superionic conductors with the potential for use as solid electrolytes in all-solid-state lithium ion batteries. These electrolytes are nonflammable, low-cost, and suitable for thermoplastic processing. However, the primary obstacle of its practical implementation is the relatively low ionic conductivity at room temperature. In this work, we synthesized a composite material consisting of two anti-perovskite phases, namely, cubic Li 3OBr and layered Li 7O 2Br 3, by solid state reaction routes. The results indicate that with the phase fraction of Li 7O 2Br 3 increasingmore » to 44 wt. %, the ionic conductivity increased by more than one order of magnitude compared with pure phase Li 3OBr. Formation energy calculations revealed the meta-stable nature of Li 7O 2Br 3, which supports the great difficulty in producing phase-pure Li 7O 2Br 3 at ambient pressure. Here, methods of obtaining phase-pure Li 7O 2Br 3 will continue to be explored, including both high pressure and metathesis techniques.« less

  5. Enhanced ionic conductivity with Li 7O 2Br 3 phase in Li 3OBr anti-perovskite solid electrolyte

    DOE PAGES

    Zhu, Jinlong; Li, Shuai; Zhang, Yi; ...

    2016-09-07

    Cubic anti-perovskites with general formula Li 3OX (X = Cl, Br, I) were recently reported as superionic conductors with the potential for use as solid electrolytes in all-solid-state lithium ion batteries. These electrolytes are nonflammable, low-cost, and suitable for thermoplastic processing. However, the primary obstacle of its practical implementation is the relatively low ionic conductivity at room temperature. In this work, we synthesized a composite material consisting of two anti-perovskite phases, namely, cubic Li 3OBr and layered Li 7O 2Br 3, by solid state reaction routes. The results indicate that with the phase fraction of Li 7O 2Br 3 increasingmore » to 44 wt. %, the ionic conductivity increased by more than one order of magnitude compared with pure phase Li 3OBr. Formation energy calculations revealed the meta-stable nature of Li 7O 2Br 3, which supports the great difficulty in producing phase-pure Li 7O 2Br 3 at ambient pressure. Here, methods of obtaining phase-pure Li 7O 2Br 3 will continue to be explored, including both high pressure and metathesis techniques.« less

  6. Assimilation of NH₄Br in Polyvinyl Alcohol/Poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone) Polymer Blend-Based Electrolyte and Its Effect on Ionic Conductivity.

    PubMed

    Parameswaran, V; Nallamuthu, N; Devendran, P; Manikandan, A; Nagarajan, E R

    2018-06-01

    Biodegradable polymer blend electrolyte based on ammonium based salt in variation composition consisting of PVA:PVP were prepared by using solution casting technique. The obtained films have been analyzed by various technical methods like as XRD, FT-IR, TG-DSC, SEM analysis and impedance spectroscopy. The XRD and FT-IR analysis exposed the amorphous nature and structural properties of the complex formation between PVA/PVP/NH4Br. Impedance spectroscopy analysis revealed the ionic conductivity and the dielectric properties of PVA/PVP/NH4Br polymer blend electrolyte films. The maximum ionic conductivity was determined to be 6.14 × 10-5 Scm-1 for the composition of 50%PVA: 50%PVP: 10% NH4Br with low activation energy 0.3457 eV at room temperature. Solid state battery is fabricated using highest ionic conducting polymer blend as electrolyte with the configuration Zn/ZnSO4 · 7H2O (anode) ∥ 50%PVA: 50%PVP: 10% NH4Br ∥ Mn2O3 (cathode). The observed open circuit voltage is 1.2 V and its performance has been studied.

  7. High Ionic Conductivity of Composite Solid Polymer Electrolyte via In Situ Synthesis of Monodispersed SiO2 Nanospheres in Poly(ethylene oxide).

    PubMed

    Lin, Dingchang; Liu, Wei; Liu, Yayuan; Lee, Hye Ryoung; Hsu, Po-Chun; Liu, Kai; Cui, Yi

    2016-01-13

    High ionic conductivity solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) has long been desired for the next generation high energy and safe rechargeable lithium batteries. Among all of the SPEs, composite polymer electrolyte (CPE) with ceramic fillers has garnered great interest due to the enhancement of ionic conductivity. However, the high degree of polymer crystallinity, agglomeration of ceramic fillers, and weak polymer-ceramic interaction limit the further improvement of ionic conductivity. Different from the existing methods of blending preformed ceramic particles with polymers, here we introduce an in situ synthesis of ceramic filler particles in polymer electrolyte. Much stronger chemical/mechanical interactions between monodispersed 12 nm diameter SiO2 nanospheres and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) chains were produced by in situ hydrolysis, which significantly suppresses the crystallization of PEO and thus facilitates polymer segmental motion for ionic conduction. In addition, an improved degree of LiClO4 dissociation can also be achieved. All of these lead to good ionic conductivity (1.2 × 10(-3) S cm(-1) at 60 °C, 4.4 × 10(-5) S cm(-1) at 30 °C). At the same time, largely extended electrochemical stability window up to 5.5 V can be observed. We further demonstrated all-solid-state lithium batteries showing excellent rate capability as well as good cycling performance.

  8. Ionic liquids and oligomer electrolytes based on the B(CN)4(-) anion; ion association, physical and electrochemical properties.

    PubMed

    Scheers, Johan; Pitawala, Jagath; Thebault, Frederic; Kim, Jae-Kwang; Ahn, Jou-Hyeon; Matic, Aleksandar; Johansson, Patrik; Jacobsson, Per

    2011-09-07

    The role of B(CN)(4)(-) (Bison) as a component of battery electrolytes is addressed by investigating the ionic conductivity and phase behaviour of ionic liquids (ILs), ion association mechanisms, and the electrochemical stability and cycling properties of LiBison based electrochemical cells. For C(4)mpyrBison and C(2)mimBison ILs, and mixtures thereof, high ionic conductivities (3.4 ≤σ(ion)≤ 18 mS cm(-1)) are measured, which together with the glass transition temperatures (-80 ≤T(g)≤-76 °C) are found to shift systematically for most compositions. Unfortunately, poor solubility of LiBison in these ILs hinders their use as solvents for lithium salts, although good NaBison solubility offers an alternative application in Na(+) conducting electrolytes. The poor IL solubility of LiBison is predicted to be a result of a preferred monodentate ion association, according to first principles modelling, supported by Raman spectroscopy. The solubility is much improved in strongly Li(+) coordinating oligomers, for example polyethylene glycol dimethyl ether (PEGDME), with the practical performance tested in electrochemical cells. The electrolyte is found to be stable in Li/LiFePO(4) coin cells up to 4 V vs. Li and shows promising cycling performance, with a capacity retention of 99% over 22 cycles. This journal is © the Owner Societies 2011

  9. Ionic liquid-based green processes for energy production.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Suojiang; Sun, Jian; Zhang, Xiaochun; Xin, Jiayu; Miao, Qingqing; Wang, Jianji

    2014-11-21

    To mitigate the growing pressure on resource depletion and environment degradation, the development of green processes for the production of renewable energy is highly required. As a class of novel and promising media, ionic liquids (ILs) have shown infusive potential applications in energy production. Aiming to offer a critical overview regarding the new challenges and opportunities of ILs for developing green processes of renewable energy, this article emphasises the role of ILs as catalysts, solvents, or electrolytes in three broadly interesting energy production processes from renewable resources, such as CO2 conversion to fuels and fuel additives, biomass pretreatment and conversion to biofuels, as well as solar energy and energy storage. It is expected that this article will stimulate a generation of new ideas and new technologies in IL-based renewable energy production.

  10. New Ether-functionalized Morpholinium- and Piperidinium-based Ionic Liquids as Electrolyte Components in Lithium and Lithium-Ion Batteries.

    PubMed

    Navarra, Maria Assunta; Fujimura, Kanae; Sgambetterra, Mirko; Tsurumaki, Akiko; Panero, Stefania; Nakamura, Nobuhumi; Ohno, Hiroyuki; Scrosati, Bruno

    2017-06-09

    Here, two ionic liquids, N-ethoxyethyl-N-methylmorpholinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (M 1,2O2 TFSI) and N-ethoxyethyl-N-methylpiperidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (P 1,2O2 TFSI) were synthesized and compared. Fundamental relevant properties, such as thermal and electrochemical stability, density, and ionic conductivity were analyzed to evaluate the effects caused by the presence of the ether bond in the side chain and/or in the organic cation ring. Upon lithium salt addition, two electrolytes suitable for lithium batteries applications were found. Higher conducting properties of the piperidinium-based electrolyte resulted in enhanced cycling performances when tested with LiFePO 4 (LFP) cathode in lithium cells. When mixing the P 1,2O2 TFSI/LiTFSI electrolyte with a tailored alkyl carbonate mixture, the cycling performance of both Li and Li-ion cells greatly improved, with prolonged cyclability delivering very stable capacity values, as high as the theoretical one in the case of Li/LFP cell configurations. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  11. Composite electrolytes of polyethylene oxides/garnets interfacially wetted by ionic liquid for room-temperature solid-state lithium battery

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huo, Hanyu; Zhao, Ning; Sun, Jiyang; Du, Fuming; Li, Yiqiu; Guo, Xiangxin

    2017-12-01

    Paramount attention has been paid on solid polymer electrolytes due to their potential in enhancement of energy density as well as improvement of safety. Herein, the composite electrolytes consisting of Li-salt-free polyethylene oxides and 200 nm-sized Li6.4La3Zr1.4Ta0.6O12 particles interfacially wetted by [BMIM]TF2N of 1.8 μL cm-2 have been prepared. Such wetted ionic liquid remains the solid state of membrane electrolytes and decreases the interface impedance between the electrodes and the electrolytes. There is no release of the liquid phase from the PEO matrix when the pressure of 5.0 × 104 Pa being applied for 24 h. The interfacially wetted membrane electrolytes show the conductivity of 2.2 × 10-4 S cm-1 at 20 °C, which is one order of magnitude greater than that of the membranes without the wetted ionic liquids. The conduction mechanism is related to a large number of lithium ions releasing from Li6.4La3Zr1.4Ta0.6O12 particles and the improved conductive paths along the ion-liquid-wetted interfaces between the polymer matrix and ceramic grains. When the membranes being used in the solid-state LiFePO4/Li and LiFe0.15Mn0.85PO4/Li cells at 25 °C, the excellent rate capability and superior cycle stability has been shown. The results provide a new prospect for solid polymer electrolytes used for room-temperature solid-state lithium batteries.

  12. Conductometry of electrolyte solutions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Safonova, Lyubov P.; Kolker, Arkadii M.

    1992-09-01

    A review is given of the theories of the electrical conductance of electrolyte solutions of different ionic strengths and concentrations, and of the models of ion association. An analysis is made of the methods for mathematical processing of experimental conductometric data. An account is provided of various theories describing the dependence of the limiting value of the ionic electrical conductance on the properties of the solute and solvent. The bibliography includes 115 references.

  13. Electrical, structural, thermal and electrochemical properties of corn starch-based biopolymer electrolytes.

    PubMed

    Liew, Chiam-Wen; Ramesh, S

    2015-06-25

    Biopolymer electrolytes containing corn starch, lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) and ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BmImPF6) are prepared by solution casting technique. Temperature dependence-ionic conductivity studies reveal Vogel-Tamman-Fulcher (VTF) relationship which is associated with free volume theory. Ionic liquid-based biopolymer electrolytes show lower glass transition temperature (Tg) than ionic liquid-free biopolymer electrolyte. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies demonstrate higher amorphous region of ionic liquid-added biopolymer electrolytes. In addition, the potential stability window of the biopolymer electrolyte becomes wider and stable up to 2.9V. Conclusively, the fabricated electric double layer capacitor (EDLC) shows improved electrochemical performance upon addition of ionic liquid into the biopolymer electrolyte. The specific capacitance of EDLC based on ionic liquid-added polymer electrolyte is relatively higher than that of ionic liquid-free polymer electrolyte as depicted in cyclic voltammogram. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Effect of nanochitosan and succinonitrile on the AC ionic conductivity of plasticized nanocomposite solid polymer electrolytes (PNCSPE)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Karuppasamy, K.; Vani, C. Vijil; Nichelson, A.; Balakumar, S.; Shajan, X. Sahaya

    2013-06-01

    In the present study, the filler chitosan was converted into nanochitosan by ionotropic gelation method. Plasticized nanocomposite solid polymer electrolytes (PNCSPE) composed of poly ethylene oxide as host polymer, LiBOB (lithium bis(oxalatoborate)) as salt, SN as plasticizer and nanochitosan as filler were prepared by membrane hot-press technique. Succinonitrile and nanochitosan incorporation in PEO-LiBOB matrix enhanced the room temperature ionic conductivity. The highest ionic conductivities were found to be in the order of 10-3.2 S/cm.

  15. Influence of Polar Organic Solvents in an Ionic Liquid Containing Lithium Bis(fluorosulfonyl)amide: Effect on the Cation-Anion Interaction, Lithium Ion Battery Performance, and Solid Electrolyte Interphase.

    PubMed

    Lahiri, Abhishek; Li, Guozhu; Olschewski, Mark; Endres, Frank

    2016-12-14

    Ionic liquid-organic solvent mixtures have recently been investigated as potential battery electrolytes. However, contradictory results with these mixtures have been shown for battery performance. In this manuscript, we studied the influence of the addition of polar organic solvents into the ionic liquid electrolyte 1 M lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)amide (LiFSI)-1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(fluorosulfonyl)amide ([Py 1,4 ]FSI) and tested it for lithium ion battery applications. From infrared and Raman spectroscopy, clear changes in the lithium solvation and cation-anion interactions in the ionic liquid were observed on addition of organic solvents. From the lithiation/delithiation studies on electrodeposited Ge, the storage capacity for the ionic liquid-highly polar organic solvent (acetonitrile) mixture was found to be the highest at low C-rates (0.425 C) compared to using an ionic liquid alone and ionic liquid-less polar solvent (dimethyl carbonate) mixtures. Furthermore, XPS and AFM were used to evaluate the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and to correlate its stability with Li storage capacity.

  16. Double-membrane triple-electrolyte redox flow battery design

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yushan, Yan; Gu, Shuang; Gong, Ke

    A redox flow battery is provided having a double-membrane (one cation exchange membrane and one anion exchange membrane), triple-electrolyte (one electrolyte in contact with the negative electrode, one electrolyte in contact with the positive electrode, and one electrolyte positioned between and in contact with the two membranes). The cation exchange membrane is used to separate the negative or positive electrolyte and the middle electrolyte, and the anion exchange membrane is used to separate the middle electrolyte and the positive or negative electrolyte. This design physically isolates, but ionically connects, the negative electrolyte and positive electrolyte. The physical isolation offers greatmore » freedom in choosing redox pairs in the negative electrolyte and positive electrolyte, making high voltage of redox flow batteries possible. The ionic conduction drastically reduces the overall ionic crossover between negative electrolyte and positive one, leading to high columbic efficiency.« less

  17. Stabilizing lithium metal using ionic liquids for long-lived batteries

    PubMed Central

    Basile, A.; Bhatt, A. I.; O'Mullane, A. P.

    2016-01-01

    Suppressing dendrite formation at lithium metal anodes during cycling is critical for the implementation of future lithium metal-based battery technology. Here we report that it can be achieved via the facile process of immersing the electrodes in ionic liquid electrolytes for a period of time before battery assembly. This creates a durable and lithium ion-permeable solid–electrolyte interphase that allows safe charge–discharge cycling of commercially applicable Li|electrolyte|LiFePO4 batteries for 1,000 cycles with Coulombic efficiencies >99.5%. The tailored solid–electrolyte interphase is prepared using a variety of electrolytes based on the N-propyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide room temperature ionic liquid containing lithium salts. The formation is both time- and lithium salt-dependant, showing dynamic morphology changes, which when optimized prevent dendrite formation and consumption of electrolyte during cycling. This work illustrates that a simple, effective and industrially applicable lithium metal pretreatment process results in a commercially viable cycle life for a lithium metal battery. PMID:27292652

  18. Composite Solid Electrolyte For Lithium Cells

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Peled, Emmanuel; Nagasubramanian, Ganesan; Halpert, Gerald; Attia, Alan I.

    1994-01-01

    Composite solid electrolyte material consists of very small particles, each coated with thin layer of Lil, bonded together with polymer electrolyte or other organic binder. Material offers significant advantages over other solid electrolytes in lithium cells and batteries. Features include high ionic conductivity and strength. Composite solid electrolyte expected to exhibit flexibility of polymeric electrolytes. Polymer in composite solid electrolyte serves two purposes: used as binder alone, conduction taking place only in AI2O3 particles coated with solid Lil; or used as both binder and polymeric electrolyte, providing ionic conductivity between solid particles that it binds together.

  19. Oxide-based synaptic transistors gated by solution-processed gelatin electrolytes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    He, Yinke; Sun, Jia; Qian, Chuan; Kong, Ling-An; Gou, Guangyang; Li, Hongjian

    2017-04-01

    In human brain, a large number of neurons are connected via synapses. Simulation of the synaptic behaviors using electronic devices is the most important step for neuromorphic systems. In this paper, proton conducting gelatin electrolyte-gated oxide field-effect transistors (FETs) were used for emulating synaptic functions, in which the gate electrode is regarded as pre-synaptic neuron and the channel layer as the post-synaptic neuron. In analogy to the biological synapse, a potential spike can be applied at the gate electrode and trigger ionic motion in the gelatin electrolyte, which in turn generates excitatory post-synaptic current (EPSC) in the channel layer. Basic synaptic behaviors including spike time-dependent EPSC, paired-pulse facilitation (PPF), self-adaptation, and frequency-dependent synaptic transmission were successfully mimicked. Such ionic/electronic hybrid devices are beneficial for synaptic electronics and brain-inspired neuromorphic systems.

  20. Enhancement in ionic conductivity on solid polymer electrolytes containing large conducting species

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Praveen, D.; Damle, Ramakrishna

    2016-05-23

    Solid Polymer Electrolytes (SPEs) lack better conducting properties at ambient temperatures. Various methods to enhance their ionic conductivity like irradiation with swift heavy ions, γ-rays, swift electrons and quenching at low temperature etc., have been explored in the literature. Among these, one of the oldest methods is incorporation of different conducting species into the polymer matrix and/or addition of nano-sized inert particles into SPEs. Various new salts like LiBr, Mg(ClO{sub 4}){sub 2}, NH{sub 4}I etc., have already been tried in the past with some success. Also various nanoparticles like Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, TiO{sub 2} etc., have been tried in themore » past. In this article, we have investigated an SPE containing Rubidium as a conducting species. Rubidium has a larger ionic size compared to lithium and sodium ions which have been investigated in the recent past. In the present article, we have investigated the conductivity of large sized conducting species and shown the enhancement in the ionic conductivity by addition of nano-sized inert particles.« less

  1. PREFACE: Ionic fluids Ionic fluids

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Levin, Yan; Kornyshev, Alexei; Barbosa, Marcia C.

    2009-10-01

    In spite of its apparent simplicity Coulomb law, when applied to many body systems, leads to an amazingly rich mathematical structure. The simple idea that two similarly charged objects always repel, is not necessarily true in a colloidal suspension or a dusty plasma. Neither can one simply predict the direction of the electrophoretic motion of a polyion from only knowing its chemical charge. Strong Coulomb correlations in ionic fluids result in instabilities very similar to the gas--liquid phase separation observed in atomic fluids. It is fair to say that bulk behavior of simple aqueous monovalent electrolytes is now very well understood. Unfortunately this is not the case for multivalent electrolytes or molten salts. In these systems cation-anion association leads to strong non-linear effects which manifest themselves in formations of tightly bound ionic clusters. In spite of the tremendous effort invested over the years, our understanding of these systems remains qualitative. In this special issue we have collected articles from some of the biggest experts working on ionic fluids. The papers are both experimental and theoretical. They range from simple electrolytes in the bulk and near interfaces, to polyelectrolytes, colloids, and molten salts. The special issue, covers a wide spectrum of the ongoing research on ionic fluids. All readers should find something of interest here.

  2. Outstanding features of alginate-based gel electrolyte with ionic liquid for electric double layer capacitors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Soeda, Kazunari; Yamagata, Masaki; Ishikawa, Masashi

    2015-04-01

    An alginate-based gel electrolyte with an ionic liquid (Alg/IL) is investigated for electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) by using physicochemical and electrochemical measurements. The Alg/EMImBF4 (EMImBF4 = 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate) gel electrolyte is thermally stable up to 280 °C, where EMImBF4 decomposes. Furthermore, the EDLC with the gel electrolyte can be operated even at high temperature. The cell containing Alg/EMImBF4 is also electrochemically stable even under high voltage (∼3.5 V) operation. Thus, the alginate is a suitable host polymer for the gel electrolyte for EDLCs. According to the result of charge-discharge characteristics, the voltage drop in the charge-discharge curve for the cell with Alg/EMImBF4 gel electrolyte is considerably smaller than that with liquid-phase EMImBF4 electrolyte. To clarify the effect of Alg in contact with the activated carbon electrode, we also prepared an Alg-containing ACFC electrode (Alg + ACFC), and evaluated its EDLC characteristics in liquid EMImBF4. The results prove that the presence of Alg close to the active materials significantly reduces the internal resistance of the EDLC cell, which may be attributed to the high affinity of Alg to activated carbon.

  3. Safe lithium-ion battery with ionic liquid-based electrolyte for hybrid electric vehicles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Damen, Libero; Lazzari, Mariachiara; Mastragostino, Marina

    2011-10-01

    A lithium-ion battery featuring graphite anode, LiFePO4-C cathode and an innovative, safe, ionic liquid-based electrolyte, was assembled and characterized in terms of specific energy and power after the USABC-DOE protocol for power-assist hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) application. The test results show that the battery surpasses the energy and power goals stated by USABC-DOE and, hence, this safe lithium-ion battery should be suitable for application in the evolving HEV market.

  4. DEVELOPMENT AND SELECTION OF IONIC LIQUID ELECTROLYTES FOR HYDROXIDE CONDUCTING POLYBENZIMIDAZOLE MEMBRANES IN ALKALINE FUEL CELLS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fox, E.

    2012-05-01

    Alkaline fuel cell (AFC) operation is currently limited to specialty applications such as low temperatures and pure HO due to the corrosive nature of the electrolyte and formation of carbonates. AFCs are the cheapest and potentially most efficient (approaching 70%) fuel cells. The fact that non-Pt catalysts can be used, makes them an ideal low cost alternative for power production. The anode and cathode are separated by and solid electrolyte or alkaline porous media saturated with KOH. However, CO from the atmosphere or fuel feed severely poisons the electrolyte by forming insoluble carbonates. The corrosivity of KOH (electrolyte) limits operatingmore » temperatures to no more than 80°C. This chapter examines the development of ionic liquids electrolytes that are less corrosive, have higher operating temperatures, do not chemically bond to CO and enable alternative fuels. Work is detailed on the IL selection and characterization as well as casting methods within the polybenzimidazole based solid membrane. This approach is novel as it targets the root of the problem (the electrolyte) unlike other current work in alkaline fuel cells which focus on making the fuel cell components more durable.« less

  5. Structural and Dielectric Properties of Ionic Liquid Doped Metal Organic Framework based Polymer Electrolyte Nanocomposites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dutta, Rituraj; Kumar, Ashok

    2016-10-01

    Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are mesoporous materials that can be treated as potential hosts for trapping guest molecules in their pores. Ion conduction and phase behavior dynamics of Ionic Liquids (ILs) can be controlled by tunable interactions of MOFs with the ILs. MOFs incorporated with ionic liquid can be dispersed in the polymers to synthesize polymer electrolyte nanocomposites with high ionic conductivity, electrochemical and thermal stability for applications in energy storage and conversion devices such as rechargeable Li-ion batteries. In the present work we have synthesized Cu-based MOF [Cu3(l,3,5-benzene tricarboxylate)2(H2O)] incorporated with the ionic liquid 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide at different weight ratios of MOF and IL. The synthesized MOF-IL composites are dispersed in Poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO). Frequency dependent behavior of permittivity and dielectric loss of the nanocomposites depict the non-Debye dielectric relaxation mechanism. The room temperature Nyquist plots reveal decreasing bulk resistance upto 189 Ω with optimum ionic conductivity of 1.3×10-3S cm-1at maximum doping concentration of IL in the nanocomposite system.

  6. Electrolyte compositions for lithium ion batteries

    DOEpatents

    Sun, Xiao-Guang; Dai, Sheng; Liao, Chen

    2016-03-29

    The invention is directed in a first aspect to an ionic liquid of the general formula Y.sup.+Z.sup.-, wherein Y.sup.+ is a positively-charged component of the ionic liquid and Z.sup.- is a negatively-charged component of the ionic liquid, wherein Z.sup.- is a boron-containing anion of the following formula: ##STR00001## The invention is also directed to electrolyte compositions in which the boron-containing ionic liquid Y.sup.+Z.sup.- is incorporated into a lithium ion battery electrolyte, with or without admixture with another ionic liquid Y.sup.+X.sup.- and/or non-ionic solvent and/or non-ionic solvent additive.

  7. Ionic Liquids and Relative Process Design

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, S.; Lu, X.; Zhang, Y.; Zhou, Q.; Sun, J.; Han, L.; Yue, G.; Liu, X.; Cheng, W.; Li, S.

    Ionic liquids have gained increasing attention in recent years due to their significant advantages, not only as alternative solvents but also as new materials and catalysts. Until now, most research work on ionic liquids has been at the laboratory or pilot scale. In view of the multifarious applications of ionic liquids, more new knowledge is needed and more systematic work on ionic liquids should be carried out deeply and broadly in order to meet the future needs of process design. For example, knowledge of the physicochemical properties is indispensable for the design of new ionic liquids and for the development of novel processes. The synthesis and application of ionic liquids are fundamental parts of engineering science, and the toxicity and environmental assessment of ionic liquids is critical importance for their large scale applications, especially for process design. These research aspects are closely correlated to the industrial applications of ionic liquids and to sustainable processes. However, material process design in the industrial applications of ionic liquids has hardly been implemented. Therefore, this chapter reviews several essential issues that are closely related to process design, such as the synthesis, structure-property relationships, important applications, and toxicity of ionic liquids.

  8. Ionic relaxation in PEO/PVDF-HFP-LiClO4 blend polymer electrolytes: dependence on salt concentration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Das, S.; Ghosh, A.

    2016-06-01

    In this paper, we have studied the effect of LiClO4 salt concentration on the ionic conduction and relaxation in poly ethylene oxide (PEO) and poly (vinylidene fluoride hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) blend polymer electrolytes, in which the molar ratio of ethylene oxide segments to lithium ions (R  =  EO: Li) has been varied between 3 and 35. We have observed two phases in the samples containing low salt concentrations (R  >  9) and single phase in the samples containing high salt concentrations (R  ⩽  9). The scanning electron microscopic images indicate that there exists no phase separation in the blend polymer electrolytes. The temperature dependence of the ionic conductivity shows two slopes corresponding to high and low temperatures and follows Arrhenius relation for the samples containing low salt concentrations (R  >  9). The conductivity relaxation as well as the structural relaxation has been clearly observed at around 104 Hz and 106 Hz for these concentrations of the blended electrolytes. However, a single conductivity relaxation peak has been observed for the compositions with R  ⩽  9. The scaling of the conductivity spectra shows that the relaxation mechanism is independent of temperature, but depends on salt concentration.

  9. Comparison of physical properties of regenerated cellulose films fabricated with different cellulose feedstocks in ionic liquid.

    PubMed

    Pang, JinHui; Wu, Miao; Zhang, QiaoHui; Tan, Xin; Xu, Feng; Zhang, XueMing; Sun, RunCang

    2015-05-05

    With the serious "white pollution" resulted from the non-biodegradable plastic films, considerable attention has been directed toward the development of renewable and biodegradable cellulose-based film materials as substitutes of petroleum-derived materials. In this study, environmentally friendly cellulose films were successfully prepared using different celluloses (pine, cotton, bamboo, MCC) as raw materials and ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate as a solvent. The SEM and AFM indicated that all cellulose films displayed a homogeneous and smooth surface. In addition, the FT-IR and XRD analysis showed the transition from cellulose I to II was occurred after the dissolution and regeneration process. Furthermore, the cellulose films prepared by cotton linters and pine possessed the most excellent thermal stability and mechanical properties, which were suggested by the highest onset temperature (285°C) and tensile stress (120 MPa), respectively. Their excellent properties of regenerated cellulose films are promising for applications in food packaging and medical materials. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Titanium deposition from ionic liquids - appropriate choice of electrolyte and precursor.

    PubMed

    Berger, Claudia A; Arkhipova, Maria; Farkas, Attila; Maas, Gerhard; Jacob, Timo

    2016-02-14

    In this study titanium isopropoxide was dissolved in 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (BMITFSI) and further in a custom-made guanidinium-based ionic liquid (N11N11NpipGuaTFSI). Electrochemical investigations were carried out by means of cyclic voltammetry (CV) and the initial stages of metal deposition were followed by in situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). For BMITFSI we found one large cathodic reduction peak at a potential of -1.2 V vs. Pt, corresponding to the growth of monoatomic high islands. The obtained deposit was identified as elemental titanium by Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES). Furthermore, we found a corresponding anodic peak at -0.3 V vs. Pt, which is associated with the dissolution of the islands. This observation leads to the assumption that titanium deposition from the imidazolium-based room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) proceeds in a one-step electron transfer. In contrast, for the guanidinium-based RTIL we found several peaks during titanium reduction and oxidation, which indicates a multi-step electron transfer in this alternative electrolyte.

  11. Li 2OHCl crystalline electrolyte for stable metallic lithium anodes

    DOE PAGES

    Hood, Zachary D.; Wang, Hui; Samuthira Pandian, Amaresh; ...

    2016-01-22

    In a classic example of stability from instability, we show that Li 2OHCl solid electrolyte forms a stable solid electrolyte interface (SEI) with metallic lithium anode. The Li 2OHCl solid electrolyte can be readily achieved through simple mixing of air-stable LiOH and LiCl precursors with a mild processing temperature under 400 °C. Additionally, we show that continuous, dense Li 2OHCl membranes can be fabricated at temperatures less than 400 °C, standing in great contrast to current processing temperatures of over 1600 °C for most oxide-based solid electrolytes. The ionic conductivity and Arrhenius activation energy were explored for the LiOH-LiCl systemmore » of crystalline solid electrolytes where Li 2OHCl with increased crystal defects was found to have the highest ionic conductivity and reasonable Arrhenius activation energy. The Li 2OHCl solid electrolyte displays stability against metallic lithium, even in extreme conditions past the melting point of lithium metal. Furthermore, to understand this excellent stability, we show that SEI formation is critical in stabilizing the interface between metallic lithium and the Li 2OHCl solid electrolyte.« less

  12. Facile and scalable fabrication of polymer-ceramic composite electrolyte with high ceramic loadings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pandian, Amaresh Samuthira; Chen, X. Chelsea; Chen, Jihua; Lokitz, Bradley S.; Ruther, Rose E.; Yang, Guang; Lou, Kun; Nanda, Jagjit; Delnick, Frank M.; Dudney, Nancy J.

    2018-06-01

    Solid state electrolytes are a promising alternative to flammable liquid electrolytes for high-energy lithium battery applications. In this work polymer-ceramic composite electrolyte membrane with high ceramic loading (greater than 60 vol%) is fabricated using a model polymer electrolyte poly(ethylene oxide) + lithium trifluoromethane sulfonate and a lithium-conducting ceramic powder. The effects of processing methods, choice of plasticizer and varying composition on ionic conductivity of the composite electrolyte are thoroughly investigated. The physical, structural and thermal properties of the composites are exhaustively characterized. We demonstrate that aqueous spray coating followed by hot pressing is a scalable and inexpensive technique to obtain composite membranes that are amazingly dense and uniform. The ionic conductivity of composites fabricated using this protocol is at least one order of magnitude higher than those made by dry milling and solution casting. The introduction of tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether further increases the ionic conductivity. The composite electrolyte's interfacial compatibility with metallic lithium and good cyclability is verified by constructing lithium symmetrical cells. A remarkable Li+ transference number of 0.79 is discovered for the composite electrolyte.

  13. Influence of microstructure and AlPO4 secondary-phase on the ionic conductivity of Li1.3Al0.3Ti1.7(PO4)3 solid-state electrolyte

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, Shicheng; Mertens, Andreas; Gao, Xin; Gunduz, Deniz Cihan; Schierholz, Roland; Benning, Svenja; Hausen, Florian; Mertens, Josef; Kungl, Hans; Tempel, Hermann; Eichel, Rüdiger-A.

    2016-09-01

    A ceramic solid-state electrolyte of lithium aluminum titanium phosphate with the composition of Li1.3Al0.3Ti1.7(PO4)3 (LATP) was synthesized by a sol-gel method using a pre-dissolved Ti-source. The annealed LATP powders were subsequently processed in a binder-free dry forming method and sintered under air for the pellet preparation. Phase purity, density, microstructure as well as ionic conductivity of the specimen were characterized. The highest density (2.77gṡcm-3) with an ionic conductivity of 1.88×10-4 Sṡcm-1 (at 30∘C) was reached at a sintering temperature of 1100∘C. Conductivity of LATP ceramic electrolyte is believed to be significantly affected by both, the AlPO4 secondary phase content and the ceramic electrolyte microstructure. It has been found that with increasing sintering temperature, the secondary-phase content of AlPO4 increased. For sintering temperatures above 1000∘C, the secondary phase has only a minor impact, and the ionic conductivity is predominantly determined by the microstructure of the pellet, i.e. the correlation between density, porosity and particle size. In that respect, it has been demonstrated, that the conductivity increases with increasing particle size in this temperature range and density.

  14. Rapid, cool sintering of wet processed yttria-stabilized zirconia ceramic electrolyte thin films.

    PubMed

    Park, Jun-Sik; Kim, Dug-Joong; Chung, Wan-Ho; Lim, Yonghyun; Kim, Hak-Sung; Kim, Young-Beom

    2017-09-29

    Here we report a photonic annealing process for yttria-stabilized zirconia films, which are one of the most well-known solid-state electrolytes for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Precursor films were coated using a wet-chemical method with a simple metal-organic precursor solution and directly annealed at standard pressure and temperature by two cycles of xenon flash lamp irradiation. The residual organics were almost completely decomposed in the first pre-annealing step, and the fluorite crystalline phases and good ionic conductivity were developed during the second annealing step. These films showed properties comparable to those of thermally annealed films. This process is much faster than conventional annealing processes (e.g. halogen furnaces); a few seconds compared to tens of hours, respectively. The significance of this work includes the treatment of solid-state electrolyte oxides for SOFCs and the demonstration of the feasibility of other oxide components for solid-state energy devices.

  15. Ionically conducting PVA-LiClO4 gel electrolyte for high performance flexible solid state supercapacitors.

    PubMed

    Chodankar, Nilesh R; Dubal, Deepak P; Lokhande, Abhishek C; Lokhande, Chandrakant D

    2015-12-15

    The synthesis of polymer gel electrolyte having high ionic conductivity, excellent compatibility with active electrode material, mechanical tractability and long life is crucial to obtain majestic electrochemical performance for flexible solid state supercapacitors (FSS-SCs). Our present work describes effect of different polymers gel electrolytes on electrochemical properties of MnO2 based FSS-SCs device. It is revealed that, MnO2-FSS-SCs with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-Lithium perchlorate (LiClO4) gel electrolyte demonstrate excellent electrochemical features such as maximum operating potential window (1.2V), specific capacitance of 112Fg(-1) and energy density of 15Whkg(-1) with extended cycling stability up to 2500CV cycles. Moreover, the calendar life suggests negligible decrease in the electrochemical performance of MnO2-FSS-SCs after 20days. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Mg2B2O5 Nanowire Enabled Multifunctional Solid-State Electrolytes with High Ionic Conductivity, Excellent Mechanical Properties, and Flame-Retardant Performance.

    PubMed

    Sheng, Ouwei; Jin, Chengbin; Luo, Jianmin; Yuan, Huadong; Huang, Hui; Gan, Yongping; Zhang, Jun; Xia, Yang; Liang, Chu; Zhang, Wenkui; Tao, Xinyong

    2018-05-09

    High ionic conductivity, satisfactory mechanical properties, and wide electrochemical windows are crucial factors for composite electrolytes employed in solid-state lithium-ion batteries (SSLIBs). Based on these considerations, we fabricate Mg 2 B 2 O 5 nanowire enabled poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-based solid-state electrolytes (SSEs). Notably, these SSEs have enhanced ionic conductivity and a large electrochemical window. The elevated ionic conductivity is attributed to the improved motion of PEO chains and the increased Li migrating pathway on the interface between Mg 2 B 2 O 5 and PEO-LiTFSI. Moreover, the interaction between Mg 2 B 2 O 5 and -SO 2 - in TFSI - anions could also benefit the improvement of conductivity. In addition, the SSEs containing Mg 2 B 2 O 5 nanowires exhibit improved the mechanical properties and flame-retardant performance, which are all superior to the pristine PEO-LiTFSI electrolyte. When these multifunctional SSEs are paired with LiFePO 4 cathodes and lithium metal anodes, the SSLIBs show better rate performance and higher cyclic capacity of 150, 106, and 50 mAh g -1 under 0.2 C at 50, 40, and 30 °C. This strategy of employing Mg 2 B 2 O 5 nanowires provides the design guidelines of assembling multifunctional SSLIBs with high ionic conductivity, excellent mechanical properties, and flame-retardant performance at the same time.

  17. Ionic liquid hybrids: Progress toward non-corrosive electrolytes with high-voltage oxidation stability for magnesium-ion based batteries

    DOE PAGES

    Huie, Matthew M.; Cama, Christina A.; Smith, Paul F.; ...

    2016-10-01

    Magnesium – ion batteries have the potential for high energy density but require new types of electrolytes for practical application. Ionic liquid (IL) electrolytes offer the opportunity for increased safety and broader voltage windows relative to traditional electrolytes. We present here a systematic study of both the conductivity and oxidative stability of hybrid electrolytes consisting of eleven ILs mixed with dipropylene glycol dimethylether (DPGDME) or acetonitrile (ACN) cosolvents and magnesium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (Mg(TFSI) 2). Our study finds a correlation of higher conductivity of ILs with unsaturated rings and short carbon chain lengths, but by contrast, these ILs also exhibited lower oxidationmore » voltage limits. For the cosolvent additive, although glymes have a demonstrated capability of coordination with Mg 2+ ions, a decrease in conductivity compared to acetonitrile hybrid electrolytes was observed. Lastly, when cycled within the appropriate voltage range, the IL-hybrid electrolytes that show the highest conductivity provide the best cathode magnesiation current densities and lowest polarization as demonstrated with a Mg 0.15MnO 2 and Mg 0.07V 2O 5 cathodes.« less

  18. Analysis of cell performance and thermal regeneration of a lithium-tin cell having an immobilized fused-salt electrolyte

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cairns, E. J.; Shimotake, H.

    1969-01-01

    Cell performance and thermal regeneration of a thermally regenerative cell uses lithium and tin and a fused-salt electrolyte. The emf of the Li-Sn cell, as a function of cathode-alloy composition, is shown to resemble that of the Na-Bi cell.

  19. Ionic conduction and self-diffusion near infinitesimal concentration in lithium salt-organic solvent electrolytes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aihara, Yuichi; Sugimoto, Kyoko; Price, William S.; Hayamizu, Kikuko

    2000-08-01

    The Debye-Hückel-Onsager and Nernst-Einstein equations, which are based on two different conceptual approaches, constitute the most widely used equations for relating ionic conduction to ionic mobility. However, both of these classical (simple) equations are predictive of ionic conductivity only at very low salt concentrations. In the present work the ionic conductivity of four organic solvent-lithium salt-based electrolytes were measured. These experimental conductivity values were then contrasted with theoretical values calculated using the translational diffusion (also known as self-diffusion or intradiffusion) coefficients of all of the species present obtained using pulsed-gradient spin-echo (1H, 19F and 7Li) nuclear magnetic resonance self-diffusion measurements. The experimental results verified the applicability of both theoretical approaches at very low salt concentrations for these particular systems as well as helping to clarify the reasons for the divergence between theory and experiment. In particular, it was found that the correspondence between the Debye-Hückel-Onsager equation and experimental values could be improved by using the measured solvent self-diffusion values to correct for salt-induced changes in the solution viscosity. The concentration dependence of the self-diffusion coefficients is discussed in terms of the Jones-Dole equation.

  20. Holey graphene nanosheets with surface functional groups as high-performance supercapacitors in ionic-liquid electrolyte.

    PubMed

    Yang, Cheng-Hsien; Huang, Po-Ling; Luo, Xu-Feng; Wang, Chueh-Han; Li, Chi; Wu, Yi-Hsuan; Chang, Jeng-Kuei

    2015-05-22

    Pores and surface functional groups are created on graphene nanosheets (GNSs) to improve supercapacitor properties in a butylmethylpyrrolidinium-dicyanamide (BMP-DCA) ionic liquid (IL) electrolyte. The GNS electrode exhibits an optimal capacitance of 330 F g(-1) and a satisfactory rate capability within a wide potential range of 3.3 V at 25 °C. Pseudocapacitive effects are confirmed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Under the same conditions, carbon nanotube and activated carbon electrodes show capacitances of 80 and 81 F g(-1) , respectively. Increasing the operation temperature increases the conductivity and decreases the viscosity of the IL electrolyte, further improving cell performance. At 60 °C, a symmetric-electrode GNS supercapacitor with the IL electrolyte is able to deliver maximum energy and power densities of 140 Wh kg(-1) and 52.5 kW kg(-1) (based on the active material on both electrodes), respectively, which are much higher than the 20 Wh kg(-1) and 17.8 kW kg(-1) obtained for a control cell with a conventional organic electrolyte. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  1. Development of regenerated cellulose/halloysites nanocomposites via ionic liquids.

    PubMed

    Hanid, Nurbaiti Abdul; Wahit, Mat Uzir; Guo, Qipeng; Mahmoodian, Shaya; Soheilmoghaddam, Mohammad

    2014-01-01

    In this study, regenerated cellulose/halloysites (RC/HNT) nanocomposites with different nanofillers loading were fabricated by dissolving the cellulose in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (EMIMCl) ionic liquid. The films were prepared via solution casting method and were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The mechanical properties were investigated by tensile testing. It clearly displayed a good enhancement of both tensile strength and Young's modulus with HNT loading up to 5 wt%. As the HNT loadings increased to 5 wt%, the thermal behaviour and water resistance rate was also increased. The TEM and SEM images also depicted even dispersion of the HNT and a good intertubular interaction between the HNT and the cellulose matrix. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. An Ultrastable Ionic Chemiresistor Skin with an Intrinsically Stretchable Polymer Electrolyte.

    PubMed

    Jin, Ming Liang; Park, Sangsik; Kim, Jong-Seon; Kwon, Sung Hyun; Zhang, Shuye; Yoo, Min Seok; Jang, Sungwoo; Koh, Hyeong-Jun; Cho, Soo-Yeon; Kim, So Young; Ahn, Chi Won; Cho, Kilwon; Lee, Seung Geol; Kim, Do Hwan; Jung, Hee-Tae

    2018-05-01

    Ultrastable sensing characteristics of the ionic chemiresistor skin (ICS) that is designed by using an intrinsically stretchable thermoplastic polyurethane electrolyte as a volatile organic compound (VOC) sensing channel are described. The hierarchically assembled polymer electrolyte film is observed to be very uniform, transparent, and intrinsically stretchable. Systematic experimental and theoretical studies also reveal that artificial ions are evenly distributed in polyurethane matrix without microscale phase separation, which is essential for implementing high reliability of the ICS devices. The ICS displays highly sensitive and stable sensing of representative VOCs (including toluene, hexane, propanal, ethanol, and acetone) that are found in the exhaled breath of lung cancer patients. In particular, the sensor is found to be fully operational even after being subjected to long-term storage or harsh environmental conditions (relative humidity of 85% or temperature of 100 °C) or severe mechanical deformation (bending to a radius of curvature of 1 mm, or stretching strain of 100%), which can be an effective method to realize a human-adaptive and skin-attachable biosensor platform for daily use and early diagnosis. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  3. Facile and scalable fabrication of polymer-ceramic composite electrolyte with high ceramic loadings

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pandian, Amaresh Samuthira; Chen, Xi Chelsea; Chen, Jihua

    Solid state electrolytes are a promising alternative to flammable liquid electrolytes for high-energy lithium battery applications. In this work polymer-ceramic composite electrolyte membrane with high ceramic loading (greater than 60 vol%) is fabricated using a model polymer electrolyte poly(ethylene oxide) + lithium trifluoromethane sulfonate and a lithium-conducting ceramic powder. The effects of processing methods, choice of plasticizer and varying composition on ionic conductivity of the composite electrolyte are thoroughly investigated. The physical, structural and thermal properties of the composites are exhaustively characterized. We demonstrate that aqueous spray coating followed by hot pressing is a scalable and inexpensive technique to obtainmore » composite membranes that are amazingly dense and uniform. The ionic conductivity of composites fabricated using this protocol is at least one order of magnitude higher than those made by dry milling and solution casting. The introduction of tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether further increases the ionic conductivity. The composite electrolyte's interfacial compatibility with metallic lithium and good cyclability is verified by constructing lithium symmetrical cells. As a result, a remarkable Li + transference number of 0.79 is discovered for the composite electrolyte.« less

  4. Molecular interactions in high conductive gel electrolytes based on low molecular weight gelator.

    PubMed

    Bielejewski, Michał; Łapiński, Andrzej; Demchuk, Oleg

    2017-03-15

    Organic ionic gel (OIG) electrolytes, also known as gel electrolytes or ionogels are one example of modern functional materials with the potential to use in wide range of electrochemical applications. The functionality of OIGs arises from the thermally reversible solidification of electrolytes or ionic liquids and their superior ionic conductivity. To understand and to predict the properties of these systems it is important to get the knowledge about the interactions on molecular level between the solid gelator matrix and the electrolyte solution. This paper reports the spectroscopic studies (FT-IR, UV-Vis and Raman) of the gel electrolyte based on low molecular weight gelator methyl-4,6-O-(p-nitrobenzylidene)-α-d-glucopyranoside and solution of quaternary ammonium salt, tetramethylammonium bromide. The solidification process was based on sol-gel technique. Below characteristic temperature, defined as gel to sol phase transition temperature, T gs , the samples were solid-like and showed high conductivity values of the same order as observed for pure liquid electrolytes. The investigations were performed for a OIGs in a wide range of molar concentrations of the electrolyte solution. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Facile and scalable fabrication of polymer-ceramic composite electrolyte with high ceramic loadings

    DOE PAGES

    Pandian, Amaresh Samuthira; Chen, Xi Chelsea; Chen, Jihua; ...

    2018-04-24

    Solid state electrolytes are a promising alternative to flammable liquid electrolytes for high-energy lithium battery applications. In this work polymer-ceramic composite electrolyte membrane with high ceramic loading (greater than 60 vol%) is fabricated using a model polymer electrolyte poly(ethylene oxide) + lithium trifluoromethane sulfonate and a lithium-conducting ceramic powder. The effects of processing methods, choice of plasticizer and varying composition on ionic conductivity of the composite electrolyte are thoroughly investigated. The physical, structural and thermal properties of the composites are exhaustively characterized. We demonstrate that aqueous spray coating followed by hot pressing is a scalable and inexpensive technique to obtainmore » composite membranes that are amazingly dense and uniform. The ionic conductivity of composites fabricated using this protocol is at least one order of magnitude higher than those made by dry milling and solution casting. The introduction of tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether further increases the ionic conductivity. The composite electrolyte's interfacial compatibility with metallic lithium and good cyclability is verified by constructing lithium symmetrical cells. As a result, a remarkable Li + transference number of 0.79 is discovered for the composite electrolyte.« less

  6. Stability and ionic mobility in argyrodite-related lithium-ion solid electrolytes.

    PubMed

    Chen, Hao Min; Maohua, Chen; Adams, Stefan

    2015-07-07

    In the search for fast lithium-ion conducting solids for the development of safe rechargeable all-solid-state batteries with high energy density, thiophosphates and related compounds have been demonstrated to be particularly promising both because of their record ionic conductivities and their typically low charge transfer resistances. In this work we explore a wide range of known and predicted thiophosphates with a particular focus on the cubic argyrodite phase with a robust three-dimensional network of ion migration pathways. Structural and hydrolysis stability are calculated employing density functional method in combination with a generally applicable method of predicting the relevant critical reaction. The activation energy for ion migration in these argyrodites is then calculated using the empirical bond valence pathway method developed in our group, while bandgaps of selected argyrodites are calculated as a basis for assessing the electrochemical window. Findings for the lithium compounds are also compared to those of previously known copper argyrodites and hypothetical sodium argyrodites. Therefrom, guidelines for experimental work are derived to yield phases with the optimum balance between chemical stability and ionic conductivity in the search for practical lithium and sodium solid electrolyte materials.

  7. Potential of Zero Charge and Its Temperature Derivative for Au(111) Electrode|Alkanethiol SAM|1.0 M Aqueous Electrolyte Solution Interfaces: Impact of Electrolyte Solution Ionic Strength and Its Effect on the Structure of the Modified Electrode|Electrolyte Solution Interface

    DOE PAGES

    Smalley, John F.

    2017-04-06

    In this study, we demonstrate how small and rapid temperature perturbations (produced by the indirect laser-induced temperature jump (ILIT) technique) of solid metal electrode|electrolyte solution interfaces may be used to determine the potential of zero (total) charge (E pzc) and its temperature derivativemore » $$\\left(\\frac{dEpzc}{dT}\\right)$$ of Au(111) electrode surfaces modified by alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers in contact with high ionic strength (i.e., 1.0 M) aqueous electrolyte solutions. The E pzc’s measured for two different types of SAMs (made from either HS(CH 2) n-1CH 3 (5 ≤ n ≤ 12, E pzc = -(0.99 ± 0.12) V vs SSCE) or HS(CH 2) nOH (3 ≤ n ≤ 16, E pzc = (0.46 ± 0.22) V vs SSCE)) are considerably different than those measured previously at much lower electrolyte solution ionic strengths. For mixed monolayers made from both HS(CH 2) n-1CH 3 and HS(CH 2) nFc (where Fc refers to ferrocene), the difference in Epzc decreases as a function of the surface concentration of the Fc moiety (i.e., [Fc]), and it completely disappears at a surprisingly small [Fc] (~4.0 × 10 –11 mol cm –2). These observations for the Au(111)|hydrophobic (neat and mixed) SAM|aqueous electrolyte solution interfaces, along with the surface potentials (g Sml(dip)) evaluated for the contacting electrolyte solution surfaces of these interfaces, are consistent with a structure for the water molecule components of these surfaces where there is a net orientation of the dipoles of these molecules. Accordingly, the negative (oxygen) ends of these molecules point toward the SAM surface. The positive values of g Sml(dip) evaluated for hydrophilic SAM (e.g., made from HS(CH 2) nOH)|aqueous electrolyte solution interfaces) also indicate that the structure of these interfaces is similar to that of the hydrophobic interfaces. However, g Sml(dip) decreases with increasing ionic strength for the hydrophilic interfaces, while it increases with increasing ionic strength for

  8. Electrolytic recovery of reactor metal fuel

    DOEpatents

    Miller, W.E.; Tomczuk, Z.

    1994-09-20

    A new electrolytic process and apparatus are provided using sodium, cerium or a similar metal in alloy or within a sodium beta or beta[double prime]-alumina sodium ion conductor to electrolytically displace each of the spent fuel metals except for cesium and strontium on a selective basis from the electrolyte to an inert metal cathode. Each of the metals can be deposited separately. An electrolytic transfer of spent fuel into the electrolyte includes a sodium or cerium salt in the electrolyte with sodium or cerium alloy being deposited on the cathode during the transfer of the metals from the spent fuel. The cathode with the deposit of sodium or cerium alloy is then shunted to an anode and the reverse transfer is carried out on a selective basis with each metal being deposited separately at the cathode. The result is that the sodium or cerium needed for the process is regenerated in the first step and no additional source of these reactants is required. 2 figs.

  9. Electrolytic recovery of reactor metal fuel

    DOEpatents

    Miller, W.E.; Tomczuk, Z.

    1993-02-03

    This invention is comprised of a new electrolytic process and apparatus using sodium, cerium or a similar metal in an alloy or within a sodium beta or beta-alumina sodium ion conductor to electrolytically displace each of the spent fuel metals except for Cesium and strontium on a selective basis from the electrolyte to an inert metal cathode. Each of the metals can be deposited separately. An electrolytic transfer of spent fuel into the electrolyte includes a sodium or cerium salt in the electrolyte with sodium or cerium alloy being deposited on the cathode during the transfer of the metals from the spent fuel. The cathode with the deposit of sodium or cerium alloy is then changed to an anode and the reverse transfer is carried out on a selective basis with each metal being deposited separately at the cathode. The result is that the sodium or cerium needed for the process is regenerated in the first step and no additional source of these reactants is required.

  10. Electrolytic recovery of reactor metal fuel

    DOEpatents

    Miller, William E.; Tomczuk, Zygmunt

    1994-01-01

    A new electrolytic process and apparatus are provided using sodium, cerium or a similar metal in alloy or within a sodium beta or beta"-alumina sodium ion conductor to electrolytically displace each of the spent fuel metals except for cesium and strontium on a selective basis from the electrolyte to an inert metal cathode. Each of the metals can be deposited separately. An electrolytic transfer of spent fuel into the electrolyte includes a sodium or cerium salt in the electrolyte with sodium or cerium alloy being deposited on the cathode during the transfer of the metals from the spent fuel. The cathode with the deposit of sodium or cerium alloy is then chanted to an anode and the reverse transfer is carried out on a selective basis with each metal being deposited separately at the cathode. The result is that the sodium or cerium needed for the process is regenerated in the first step and no additional source of these reactants is required.

  11. Ionic Liquid as an Effective Additive for Rechargeable Magnesium Batteries

    DOE PAGES

    Pan, Baofei; Lau, Ka -Cheong; Vaughey, John T.; ...

    2017-03-02

    Here, the effect of the addition of an ionic liquid DEME•TFSI to an electrolyte solution of Mg(HMDS) 2-MgCl 2 in THF was studied electrochemically and spectroscopically. Reversible magnesium deposition/dissolution was achieved with the DEME•TFSI-modified electrolyte. This electrolyte shows higher ionic conductivity, and a linear relationship was observed between the ionic conductivity and the concentration of DEME•TFSI in THF solution of Mg(HMDS) 2-MgCl 2. Mg-Mo 6S 8 coin cells have also been successfully cycled using Mg(HMDS) 2-MgCl 2 electrolyte with the addition of DEME•TFSI. Raman and NMR spectroscopy suggest that DEME•TFSI facilitates magnesium deposition/dissolution by improving ionic conductivity of the electrolyte.

  12. Solid polymer electrolyte compositions

    DOEpatents

    Garbe, James E.; Atanasoski, Radoslav; Hamrock, Steven J.; Le, Dinh Ba

    2001-01-01

    An electrolyte composition is featured that includes a solid, ionically conductive polymer, organically modified oxide particles that include organic groups covalently bonded to the oxide particles, and an alkali metal salt. The electrolyte composition is free of lithiated zeolite. The invention also features cells that incorporate the electrolyte composition.

  13. Electrochemical characterisation of a lithium-ion battery electrolyte based on mixtures of carbonates with a ferrocene-functionalised imidazolium electroactive ionic liquid.

    PubMed

    Forgie, John C; El Khakani, Soumia; MacNeil, Dean D; Rochefort, Dominic

    2013-05-28

    Electrolytic solutions of lithium-ion batteries can be modified with additives to improve their stability and safety. Electroactive molecules can be used as such additives to act as an electron (redox) shuttle between the two electrodes to prevent overcharging. The electroactive ionic liquid, 1-ferrocenylmethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide (TFSI), was synthesised and its electrochemical properties were investigated when diluted with ethylene carbonate-diethyl carbonate solvent at various concentrations. Cyclic voltammetry data were gathered to determine the redox potential, diffusion coefficient and heterogeneous rate constants of the electroactive imidazolium TFSI ionic liquid in the carbonate solution. The properties of this molecule as an additive in lithium battery electrolytes were studied in standard coin cells with a metallic Li anode and a Li4Ti5O12 cathode.

  14. Ion Transport via Structural Relaxations in Polymerized Ionic Liquids

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ganesan, Venkat; Mogurampelly, Santosh

    We study the mechanisms underlying ion transport in poly(1-butyl-3-vinylimidazolium-hexafluorophosphate) polymer electrolytes. We consider polymer electrolytes of varying polymerized ionic liquid to ionic liquid (polyIL:IL) ratios and use atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to probe the dynamical and structural characteristics of the electrolyte. Our results reveal that anion diffusion along polymer backbone occurs primarily viathe formation and breaking of ion-pairs involving threepolymerized cationic monomers of twodifferent polymer chains. Moreover, we observe that the ionic diffusivities exhibit a direct correlation with the structural relaxation times of the ion-pairs and hydrogen bonds (H-bonds). These results provide new insights into the mechanisms underlying ion transport in polymerized ionic liquid electrolytes.

  15. Ion Dynamics in a Mixed-Cation Alkoxy-Ammonium Ionic Liquid Electrolyte for Sodium Device Applications.

    PubMed

    Pope, Cameron R; Kar, Mega; MacFarlane, Douglas R; Armand, Michel; Forsyth, Maria; O'Dell, Luke A

    2016-10-18

    The ion dynamics in a novel sodium-containing room-temperature ionic liquid (IL) consisting of an ether-functionalised quaternary ammonium cation and bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide [NTf 2 ] anion with various concentrations of Na[NTf 2 ] have been characterised using differential scanning calorimetry, impedance spectroscopy, diffusometry and NMR relaxation measurements. The IL studied has been specifically designed to dissolve a relatively large concentration of Na[NTf 2 ] salt (over 2 mol kg -1 ) as this has been shown to improve ion transport and conductivity. Consistent with other studies, the measured ionic conductivity and diffusion coefficients show that the overall ionic mobility decreases with decreasing temperature and increasing salt content. NMR relaxation measurements provide evidence for correlated dynamics between the ether-functionalised ammonium and Na cations, possibly with the latter species acting as cross-links between multiple ammonium cations. Finally, preliminary cyclic voltammetry experiments show that this IL can undergo stable electrochemical cycling and could therefore be potentially useful as an electrolyte in a Na-based device. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  16. Microbial Electrolytic Capture, Separation and Regeneration of CO2 for Biogas Upgrading.

    PubMed

    Jin, Xiangdan; Zhang, Yifeng; Li, Xiaohu; Zhao, Nannan; Angelidaki, Irini

    2017-08-15

    Biogas upgrading to natural gas quality is essential for the efficient use of biogas in various applications. Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) which constitutes a major part of the biogas is generally removed by physicochemical methods. However, most of the methods are expensive and often present environmental challenges. In this study, an innovative microbial electrolytic system was developed to capture, separate and regenerate CO 2 for biogas upgrading without external supply of chemicals, and potentially to treat wastewater. The new system was operated at varied biogas flow rates and external applied voltages. CO 2 was effectively separated from the raw biogas and the CH 4 content in the outlet reached as high as 97.0 ± 0.2% at the external voltage of 1.2 V and gas flow rate of 19.6 mL/h. Regeneration of CO 2 was also achieved in the regeneration chamber with low pH (1.34 ± 0.04). The relatively low electric energy consumption (≤0.15 kWh/m 3 biogas) along with the H 2 production which can contribute to the energy input makes the overall energy need of the system low, and thereby makes the technology promising. This work provides the first attempt for development of a sustainable biogas upgrading technology and potentially expands the application of microbial electrochemical technologies.

  17. Ionogel Electrolytes through Sol-Gel Processing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Horowitz, Ariel I.

    Electrical energy needs have intensified due to the ubiquity of personal electronics, the decarbonization of energy services through electrification, and the use of intermittent renewable energy sources. Despite developments in mechanical and thermal methods, electrochemical technologies are the most convenient and effective means of storing electrical energy. These technologies include both electrochemical cells, commonly called batteries, and electrochemical double-layer capacitors, or "supercapacitors", which store energy electrostatically. Both device types require an ion-conducting electrolyte. Current devices use solutions of complex salts in organic solvents, leading to both toxicity and flammability concerns. These drawbacks can be avoided by replacing conventional electrolytes with room-temperature molten salts, known as ionic liquids (ILs). ILs are non-volatile, non-flammable, and offer high conductivity and good electrochemical stability. Device mass can be reduced by combining ILs with a solid scaffold material to form an "ionogel," further improving performance metrics. In this work, sol-gel chemistry is explored as a means of forming ionogel electrolytes. Sol-gel chemistry is a solution-based, industrially-relevant, well-studied technique by which solids such as silica can be formed in situ. Previous works used a simple acid-catalyzed sol-gel reaction to create brittle, glassy ionogels. Here, both the range of products that can be accomplished through sol-gel processing and the understanding of interactions between ILs and the sol-gel reaction network are greatly expanded. This work introduces novel ionogel materials, including soft and compliant silica-supported ionogels and PDMS-supported ionogels. The impacts of the reactive formulation, IL identity, and casting time are detailed. It is demonstrated that variations in formulation can lead to rapid gelation and open pore structures in the silica scaffold or slow gelation and more dense silica

  18. Allylic ionic liquid electrolyte-assisted electrochemical surface passivation of LiCoO2 for advanced, safe lithium-ion batteries.

    PubMed

    Mun, Junyoung; Yim, Taeeun; Park, Jang Hoon; Ryu, Ji Heon; Lee, Sang Young; Kim, Young Gyu; Oh, Seung M

    2014-08-29

    Room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) electrolytes have attracted much attention for use in advanced, safe lithium-ion batteries (LIB) owing to their nonvolatility, high conductivity, and great thermal stability. However, LIBs containing RTIL-electrolytes exhibit poor cyclability because electrochemical side reactions cause problematic surface failures of the cathode. Here, we demonstrate that a thin, homogeneous surface film, which is electrochemically generated on LiCoO2 from an RTIL-electrolyte containing an unsaturated substituent on the cation (1-allyl-1-methylpiperidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, AMPip-TFSI), can avert undesired side reactions. The derived surface film comprised of a high amount of organic species from the RTIL cations homogenously covered LiCoO2 with a <25 nm layer and helped suppress unfavorable thermal reactions as well as electrochemical side reactions. The superior performance of the cell containing the AMPip-TFSI electrolyte was further elucidated by surface, electrochemical, and thermal analyses.

  19. Allylic ionic liquid electrolyte-assisted electrochemical surface passivation of LiCoO2 for advanced, safe lithium-ion batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mun, Junyoung; Yim, Taeeun; Park, Jang Hoon; Ryu, Ji Heon; Lee, Sang Young; Kim, Young Gyu; Oh, Seung M.

    2014-08-01

    Room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) electrolytes have attracted much attention for use in advanced, safe lithium-ion batteries (LIB) owing to their nonvolatility, high conductivity, and great thermal stability. However, LIBs containing RTIL-electrolytes exhibit poor cyclability because electrochemical side reactions cause problematic surface failures of the cathode. Here, we demonstrate that a thin, homogeneous surface film, which is electrochemically generated on LiCoO2 from an RTIL-electrolyte containing an unsaturated substituent on the cation (1-allyl-1-methylpiperidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, AMPip-TFSI), can avert undesired side reactions. The derived surface film comprised of a high amount of organic species from the RTIL cations homogenously covered LiCoO2 with a <25 nm layer and helped suppress unfavorable thermal reactions as well as electrochemical side reactions. The superior performance of the cell containing the AMPip-TFSI electrolyte was further elucidated by surface, electrochemical, and thermal analyses.

  20. Electrolytic process for preparing uranium metal

    DOEpatents

    Haas, Paul A.

    1990-01-01

    An electrolytic process for making uranium from uranium oxide using Cl.sub.2 anode product from an electrolytic cell to react with UO.sub.2 to form uranium chlorides. The chlorides are used in low concentrations in a melt comprising fluorides and chlorides of potassium, sodium and barium in the electrolytic cell. The electrolysis produces Cl.sub.2 at the anode that reacts with UO.sub.2 in the feed reactor to form soluble UCl.sub.4, available for a continuous process in the electrolytic cell, rather than having insoluble UO.sub.2 fouling the cell.

  1. Impact of Environmental Conditions (pH, Ionic Strength, And Electrolyte Type) On The Surface Charge And Aggregation Of Silver Nanoparticles Suspensions

    EPA Science Inventory

    The impact of capping agents and environmental conditions (pH, ionic strength, and background electrolytes) on surface charge and aggregation potential of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) suspensions were investigated. Capping agents are chemicals used in the synthesis of nanopartic...

  2. Charge carrier dynamics and relaxation in (polyethylene oxide-lithium-salt)-based polymer electrolyte containing 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide as ionic liquid

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Karmakar, A.; Ghosh, A.

    2011-11-01

    In this paper we report the dynamics of charge carriers and relaxation in polymer electrolytes based on polyethylene oxide (PEO), lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) and 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (BMPTFSI) ionic liquid prepared by solution cast technique. It has been observed that the incorporation of BMPTFSI into PEO-LiTFSI electrolyte is an effective way for increasing the amorphous phase to a large extent. It has also been observed that both the glass transition and melting temperatures decrease with the increase of BMPTFSI concentration. The ionic conductivity of these polymer electrolytes increases with the increase of BMPTFSI concentration. The highest ionic conductivity obtained at 25 °C is ˜3×10-4 S cm-1 for the electrolyte containing 60 wt % BMPTFSI and ethylene oxide (EO)/Li ratio of 20. The temperature dependence of the dc conductivity and the hopping frequency show Vogel-Tamman-Fulcher type behavior indicating a strong coupling between the ionic and the polymer chain segmental motions. The frequency dependence of the ac conductivity exhibits a power law with an exponent n which decreases with the increase of temperature. The scaling of the ac conductivity indicates that relaxation dynamics of charge carriers follows a common mechanism for all temperatures and BMPTFSI concentrations. We have also presented the electric modulus data which have been analyzed in the framework of a Havriliak-Negami equation and the shape parameters obtained by the analysis show slight temperature dependence, but change sharply with BMPTFSI concentration. The stretched exponent β obtained from Kohlrausch-Williams-Watts fit to the modulus data is much lower than unity signifying that the relaxation is highly nonexponential. The decay function obtained from analysis of experimental modulus data is highly asymmetric with time.

  3. Manufacturing and actuation characterization of ionic polymer metal composites with silver as electrodes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pandita, Surya D.; Lim, Hyoung Tae; Yoo, Youngtai; Park, Hoon Cheol

    2006-03-01

    Manufacturing and characterization of ionic polymer metal composites (IPMCs) with silver as electrodes have been investigated. Tollen's reagent that contains ion Ag(NH 3) II + was used as a raw material for silver deposition on the surfaces of the polymer membrane Nafion"R". Two types of inner solvents, namely common water based electrolyte solution (LiOH 1N) and ionic liquid were used and investigated. Compared to IPMCs with platinum electrodes, silver-plated IPMCs with water electrolyte showed higher conductivity. The actuation response of silver-plated IPMCs with the water based electrolyte was faster than that of platinum IPMCs. However, the silver electrode was too brittle and severely damaged during the solvent exchange process from water to ionic liquid, resulted in high resistance and hence very low actuation behavior.

  4. Long-range electrostatic screening in ionic liquids

    PubMed Central

    Gebbie, Matthew A.; Dobbs, Howard A.; Valtiner, Markus; Israelachvili, Jacob N.

    2015-01-01

    Electrolyte solutions with high concentrations of ions are prevalent in biological systems and energy storage technologies. Nevertheless, the high interaction free energy and long-range nature of electrostatic interactions makes the development of a general conceptual picture of concentrated electrolytes a significant challenge. In this work, we study ionic liquids, single-component liquids composed solely of ions, in an attempt to provide a novel perspective on electrostatic screening in very high concentration (nonideal) electrolytes. We use temperature-dependent surface force measurements to demonstrate that the long-range, exponentially decaying diffuse double-layer forces observed across ionic liquids exhibit a pronounced temperature dependence: Increasing the temperature decreases the measured exponential (Debye) decay length, implying an increase in the thermally driven effective free-ion concentration in the bulk ionic liquids. We use our quantitative results to propose a general model of long-range electrostatic screening in ionic liquids, where thermally activated charge fluctuations, either free ions or correlated domains (quasiparticles), take on the role of ions in traditional dilute electrolyte solutions. This picture represents a crucial step toward resolving several inconsistencies surrounding electrostatic screening and charge transport in ionic liquids that have impeded progress within the interdisciplinary ionic liquids community. More broadly, our work provides a previously unidentified way of envisioning highly concentrated electrolytes, with implications for diverse areas of inquiry, ranging from designing electrochemical devices to rationalizing electrostatic interactions in biological systems. PMID:26040001

  5. Conductivity studies of PEG based polymer electrolyte for applications as electrolyte in ion batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Patil, Ravikumar V.; Praveen, D.; Damle, R.

    2018-05-01

    Development of lithium ion batteries employing solid polymer electrolytes as electrolyte material has led to efficient energy storage and usage in many portable devices. However, due to a few drawbacks like lower ionic conductivity of solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs), studies on SPEs for improvement in conductivity still have a good scope. In the present paper, we report the conductivity studies of a new SPE with low molecular weight poly ethylene glycol (PEG) as host polymer in which a salt with larger anion Lithium trifluro methane sulphonate (LTMS). XRD studies have revealed that the salt completely dissociates in the polymer giving a good stable electrolyte at lower salt concentration. Conductivity of the SPEs has been studied as a function of temperature and we reiterate that the conductivity is a thermally activated process and follows Arrhenius type behavior.

  6. Ion distributions in electrolyte confined by multiple dielectric interfaces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jing, Yufei; Zwanikken, Jos W.; Jadhao, Vikram; de La Cruz, Monica

    2014-03-01

    The distribution of ions at dielectric interfaces between liquids characterized by different dielectric permittivities is crucial to nanoscale assembly processes in many biological and synthetic materials such as cell membranes, colloids and oil-water emulsions. The knowledge of ionic structure of these systems is also exploited in energy storage devices such as double-layer super-capacitors. The presence of multiple dielectric interfaces often complicates computing the desired ionic distributions via simulations or theory. Here, we use coarse-grained models to compute the ionic distributions in a system of electrolyte confined by two planar dielectric interfaces using Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulations and liquid state theory. We compute the density profiles for various electrolyte concentrations, stoichiometric ratios and dielectric contrasts. The explanations for the trends in these profiles and discuss their effects on the behavior of the confined charged fluid are also presented.

  7. The Effect of Ionic Strength on the Haemolytic Activity of Complement

    PubMed Central

    Wardlaw, A. C.; Walker, H. G.

    1963-01-01

    The haemolytic activity of guinea-pig complement has been measured in isotonic solutions of various ionic strengths in the range 0.034–0.28 and shown to be maximum at an ionic strength close to 0.08. Haemolytic activity was virtually abolished at ionic strength 0.034, while at 0.28, the complement titre was only about 20 per cent of the value found at the physiological ionic strength 0.155. NaCl, KCl, LiBr and K2SO4 were the electrolytes used to provide ionic strength, and sucrose, mannitol and inositol the non-electrolytes used to maintain isotonicity. Nine permutations of the four electrolytes with the three non-electrolytes were tested and gave similar results. Human and rabbit complements also showed optimum haemolytic activity at ionic strength 0.08–0.10. PMID:13998876

  8. Performance of Multi Walled Carbon Nanotubes Grown on Conductive Substrates as Supercapacitors Electrodes using Organic and Ionic liquid electrolytes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Winchester, Andrew; Ghosh, Sujoy; Turner, Ben; Zhang, X. F.; Talapatra, Saikat

    2012-02-01

    In this work we will present the use of Multi Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWNT) directly grown on inconel substrates via chemical vapor deposition, as electrode materials for electrochemical double layer capacitors (EDLC). The performance of the MWNT EDLC electrodes were investigated using two electrolytes, an organic electrolyte, tetraethylammonium tetrafluoroborate in propylene carbonate (Et4NBF4 in PC), and a room temperature ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BMIM-PF6). Cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements to obtain values for the capacitance and internal resistance of these devices will be presented and compared.

  9. Polymer Ni-MH battery based on PEO-PVA-KOH polymer electrolyte

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Chun-Chen

    An alkaline polymer electrolyte film has been prepared by a solvent-casting method. Poly(vinyl alcohol), PVA is added to improve the ionic conductivity of the electrolyte. The ionic conductivity increases from 10 -7 to 10 -2 S cm -1 at room temperature when the weight percent ratio of poly(ethylene oxide), PEO to PVA is increased from 10:0 to 5:5. The activation energy of the ionic conductivity for the PEO-PVA-KOH polymer electrolyte is 3-8 kJ mol -1. The properties of the electrolyte film are characterized by a wide variety of techniques and it is found that the film exhibits good mechanical stability and high ionic conductivity at room temperature. The application of such electrolyte films to nickel-metal-hydride (Ni-MH) batteries is examined and the electrochemical characteristics of a polymer Ni-MH battery are obtained.

  10. Allylic ionic liquid electrolyte-assisted electrochemical surface passivation of LiCoO2 for advanced, safe lithium-ion batteries

    PubMed Central

    Mun, Junyoung; Yim, Taeeun; Park, Jang Hoon; Ryu, Ji Heon; Lee, Sang Young; Kim, Young Gyu; Oh, Seung M.

    2014-01-01

    Room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) electrolytes have attracted much attention for use in advanced, safe lithium-ion batteries (LIB) owing to their nonvolatility, high conductivity, and great thermal stability. However, LIBs containing RTIL-electrolytes exhibit poor cyclability because electrochemical side reactions cause problematic surface failures of the cathode. Here, we demonstrate that a thin, homogeneous surface film, which is electrochemically generated on LiCoO2 from an RTIL-electrolyte containing an unsaturated substituent on the cation (1-allyl-1-methylpiperidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, AMPip-TFSI), can avert undesired side reactions. The derived surface film comprised of a high amount of organic species from the RTIL cations homogenously covered LiCoO2 with a <25 nm layer and helped suppress unfavorable thermal reactions as well as electrochemical side reactions. The superior performance of the cell containing the AMPip-TFSI electrolyte was further elucidated by surface, electrochemical, and thermal analyses. PMID:25168309

  11. The Electrolyte Factor in O2 Reduction Electrocatalysis

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1993-04-23

    molecule thick and does not seem to interfere with 02 and water/proton transport at this interface. This layer resembles a self-ordered Langmuir - Blodgett ... liquid electrolyte from within the polymer is in contact with the catalyst and completes the ionic circuit between the ionic conducting polymer and the...the free energy of adsorption of H2 0 and ionic components because of the lower effective dielectric constant in the electrolyte phase immediately

  12. Enhanced ionic conductivity with Li{sub 7}O{sub 2}Br{sub 3} phase in Li{sub 3}OBr anti-perovskite solid electrolyte

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhu, Jinlong, E-mail: jlzhu04@physics.unlv.edu, E-mail: yusheng.zhao@unlv.edu, E-mail: zhaoys@sustc.edu.cn; Li, Shuai; Zhang, Yi

    Cubic anti-perovskites with general formula Li{sub 3}OX (X = Cl, Br, I) were recently reported as superionic conductors with the potential for use as solid electrolytes in all-solid-state lithium ion batteries. These electrolytes are nonflammable, low-cost, and suitable for thermoplastic processing. However, the primary obstacle of its practical implementation is the relatively low ionic conductivity at room temperature. In this work, we synthesized a composite material consisting of two anti-perovskite phases, namely, cubic Li{sub 3}OBr and layered Li{sub 7}O{sub 2}Br{sub 3,} by solid state reaction routes. The results indicate that with the phase fraction of Li{sub 7}O{sub 2}Br{sub 3} increasing to 44 wt.more » %, the ionic conductivity increased by more than one order of magnitude compared with pure phase Li{sub 3}OBr. Formation energy calculations revealed the meta-stable nature of Li{sub 7}O{sub 2}Br{sub 3}, which supports the great difficulty in producing phase-pure Li{sub 7}O{sub 2}Br{sub 3} at ambient pressure. Methods of obtaining phase-pure Li{sub 7}O{sub 2}Br{sub 3} will continue to be explored, including both high pressure and metathesis techniques.« less

  13. Surface and Electrochemical Properties of Polymer Brush-Based Redox Poly(Ionic Liquid).

    PubMed

    Bui-Thi-Tuyet, Van; Trippé-Allard, Gaëlle; Ghilane, Jalal; Randriamahazaka, Hyacinthe

    2016-10-26

    Redox-active poly(ionic liquid) poly(3-(2-methacryloyloxy ethyl)-1-(N-(ferrocenylmethyl) imidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide deposited onto electrode surfaces has been prepared using surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization SI-ATRP. The process starts by electrochemical immobilization of initiator layer, and then methacrylate monomer carrying ferrocene and imidazolium units is polymerized in ionic liquid media via SI-ATRP process. The surfaces analyses of the polymer exhibit a well-defined polymer brushlike structure and confirm the presence of ferrocene and ionic moieties within the film. Furthermore, the electrochemical investigations of poly(redox-active ionic liquid) in different media demonstrate that the electron transfer is not restricted by the rate of counterion migration into/out of the polymer. The attractive electrochemical performance of these materials is further demonstrated by performing electrochemical measurement, of poly(ferrocene ionic liquid), in solvent-free electrolyte. The facile synthesis of such highly ordered electroactive materials based ionic liquid could be useful for the fabrication of nanostructured electrode suitable for performing electrochemistry in solvent free electrolyte. We also demonstrate possible applications of the poly(FcIL) as electrochemically reversible surface wettability system and as electrochemical sensor for the catalytic activity toward the oxidation of tyrosine.

  14. Nonlinear ionic transport through microstructured solid electrolytes: homogenization estimates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Curto Sillamoni, Ignacio J.; Idiart, Martín I.

    2016-10-01

    We consider the transport of multiple ionic species by diffusion and migration through microstructured solid electrolytes in the presence of strong electric fields. The assumed constitutive relations for the constituent phases follow from convex energy and dissipation potentials which guarantee thermodynamic consistency. The effective response is heuristically deduced from a multi-scale convergence analysis of the relevant field equations. The resulting homogenized response involves an effective dissipation potential per species. Each potential is mathematically akin to that of a standard nonlinear heterogeneous conductor. A ‘linear-comparison’ homogenization technique is then used to generate estimates for these nonlinear potentials in terms of available estimates for corresponding linear conductors. By way of example, use is made of the Maxwell-Garnett and effective-medium linear approximations to generate estimates for two-phase systems with power-law dissipation. Explicit formulas are given for some limiting cases. In the case of threshold-type behavior, the estimates exhibit non-analytical dilute limits and seem to be consistent with fields localized in low energy paths.

  15. Method of making a layered composite electrode/electrolyte

    DOEpatents

    Visco, Steven J.; Jacobson, Craig P.; DeJonghe, Lutgard C.

    2005-01-25

    An electrode/electrolyte structure is prepared by a plurality of methods. An unsintered (possibly bisque fired) moderately catalytic electronically-conductive or homogeneous mixed ionic electronic conductive electrode material is deposited on a layer composed of a sintered or unsintered ionically-conductive electrolyte material prior to being sintered. A layer of particulate electrode material is deposited on an unsintered ("green") layer of electrolyte material and the electrode and electrolyte layers are sintered simultaneously, sometimes referred to as "co-firing," under conditions suitable to fully densify the electrolyte while the electrode retains porosity. Or, the layer of particulate electrode material is deposited on a previously sintered layer of electrolyte, and then sintered. Subsequently, a catalytic material is added to the electrode structure by infiltration of an electrolcatalyst precursor (e.g., a metal salt such as a transition metal nitrate). This may be followed by low temperature firing to convert the precursor to catalyst. The invention allows for an electrode with high electronic conductivity and sufficient catalytic activity to achieve high power density in an ionic (electrochemical) device such as fuel cells and electrolytic gas separation systems.

  16. Effect of epoxidation level on thermal properties and ionic conductivity of epoxidized natural rubber solid polymer nanocomposite electrolytes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Harun, Fatin; Chan, Chin Han; Winie, Tan

    Effect of epoxide content on the thermal and conductivity properties of epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) solid polymer nanocomposite electrolytes was investigated. Commercial available epoxidized natural rubber having 25 (ENR25) and 50 mole% (ENR50) epoxide, respectively were incorporated with lithium perchlorate (LiClO{sub 4}) salt and titanium dioxide (TiO{sub 2}) nanofiller via solution casting method. The solid polymer nanocomposite electrolytes were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and impedance spectroscopy (IS) for their thermal properties and conductivity, respectively. It was evident that introduction of LiClO{sub 4} causes a greater increase in glass transition temperature (T{sub g}) and ionic conductivity of ENR50 asmore » compared to ENR25. Upon addition of TiO{sub 2} in ENR/LiClO{sub 4} system, a remarkable T{sub g} elevation was observed for both ENRs where ENR50 reveals a more pronounced changes. It is interesting to note that they exhibit different phenomenon in ionic conductivity with TiO{sub 2} loading where ENR25 shows enhancement of conductivity while ENR50 shows declination.« less

  17. Ionic liquids containing tricyanomethanide anions: physicochemical characterisation and performance as electrochemical double-layer capacitor electrolytes.

    PubMed

    Martins, Vitor L; Rennie, Anthony J R; Torresi, Roberto M; Hall, Peter J

    2017-06-28

    We investigated the use of fluorine free ionic liquids (ILs) containing the tricyanomethanide anion ([C(CN) 3 ]) as an electrolyte in electrochemical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs). Three cations were used; 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium ([Im 1,4 ]), N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium ([Pyr 1,4 ]) and N-butyl-N-methylpiperidinium ([Pip 1,4 ]). Their physicochemical properties are discussed alongside with their performance as electrolytes. We found that the cyano-based ILs present higher ionic conductivity (9.4, 8.7 and 4.2 mS cm -1 at 25 °C for [Im 1,4 ], [Pyr 1,4 ] and [Pip 1,4 ], respectively) than the widely studied IL containing the bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide anion, namely [Pyr 1,4 ][Tf 2 N] (2.7 mS cm -1 at 25 °C). Of the three ILs investigated, [Pip 1,4 ][C(CN) 3 ] presents the widest electrochemical stability window, 3.0 V, while [Pyr 1,4 ][C(CN) 3 ] is stable up to 2.9 V and its [Tf 2 N] analogue can operate at 3.5 V. Despite operating at a lower voltage, [Pyr 1,4 ][C(CN) 3 ] EDLC is capable of delivering up to 4.5 W h kg -1 when operating at high specific power of 7.2 kW kg -1 , while its [Pyr 1,4 ][Tf 2 N] counterpart only delivered 3.0 W h kg -1 when operated at similar power.

  18. Self-Regulative Nanogelator Solid Electrolyte: A New Option to Improve the Safety of Lithium Battery.

    PubMed

    Wu, Feng; Chen, Nan; Chen, Renjie; Zhu, Qizhen; Tan, Guoqiang; Li, Li

    2016-01-01

    The lack of suitable nonflammable electrolytes has delayed battery application in electric vehicles. A new approach to improve the safety performance for lithium battery is proposed here. This technology is based on a nanogelator-based solid electrolyte made of porous oxides and an ionic liquid. The electrolyte is fabricated using an in situ method and the porous oxides serve as a nonflammable "nanogelator" that spontaneously immobilizes the ionic liquid. The electrolyte exhibits a high liquid-like apparent ionic conductivity of 2.93 × 10 -3 S cm -1 at room temperature. The results show that the nanogelator, which possess self-regulating ability, is able to immobilize imidazolium-, pyrrolidinium-, or piperidinium-based ionic liquids, simply by adjusting the ion transport channels. Our prototype batteries made of Ti-nanogeltor solid electrolyte outperform conventional lithium batteries made using ionic liquid and commercial organic liquid electrolytes.

  19. Poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) polymer electrolyte for paper-based and flexible battery applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aliahmad, Nojan; Shrestha, Sudhir; Varahramyan, Kody; Agarwal, Mangilal

    2016-06-01

    Paper-based batteries represent a new frontier in battery technology. However, low-flexibility and poor ionic conductivity of solid electrolytes have been major impediments in achieving practical mechanically flexible batteries. This work discuss new highly ionic conductive polymer gel electrolytes for paper-based battery applications. In this paper, we present a poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDH-HFP) porous membrane electrolyte enhanced with lithium bis(trifluoromethane sulphone)imide (LiTFSI) and lithium aluminum titanium phosphate (LATP), with an ionic conductivity of 2.1 × 10-3 S cm-1. Combining ceramic (LATP) with the gel structure of PVDF-HFP and LiTFSI ionic liquid harnesses benefits of ceramic and gel electrolytes in providing flexible electrolytes with a high ionic conductivity. In a flexibility test experiment, bending the polymer electrolyte at 90° for 20 times resulted in 14% decrease in ionic conductivity. Efforts to further improving the flexibility of the presented electrolyte are ongoing. Using this electrolyte, full-cell batteries with lithium titanium oxide (LTO) and lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) electrodes and (i) standard metallic current collectors and (ii) paper-based current collectors were fabricated and tested. The achieved specific capacities were (i) 123 mAh g-1 for standard metallic current collectors and (ii) 99.5 mAh g-1 for paper-based current collectors. Thus, the presented electrolyte has potential to become a viable candidate in paper-based and flexible battery applications. Fabrication methods, experimental procedures, and test results for the polymer gel electrolyte and batteries are presented and discussed.

  20. Dressed ion theory of size-asymmetric electrolytes: effective ionic charges and the decay length of screened Coulomb potential and pair correlations.

    PubMed

    Forsberg, Björn; Ulander, Johan; Kjellander, Roland

    2005-02-08

    The effects of ionic size asymmetry on long-range electrostatic interactions in electrolyte solutions are investigated within the primitive model. Using the formalism of dressed ion theory we analyze correlation functions from Monte Carlo simulations and the hypernetted chain approximation for size asymmetric 1:1 electrolytes. We obtain decay lengths of the screened Coulomb potential, effective charges of ions, and effective permittivity of the solution. It is found that the variation of these quantities with the degree of size asymmetry depends in a quite intricate manner on the interplay between the electrostatic coupling and excluded volume effects. In most cases the magnitude of the effective charge of the small ion species is larger than that of the large species; the difference increases with increasing size asymmetry. The effective charges of both species are larger (in absolute value) than the bare ionic charge, except for high asymmetry where the effective charge of the large ions can become smaller than the bare charge.

  1. The Synthesis and Characterization of Ionic Liquids for Alkali-Metal Batteries and a Novel Electrolyte for Non-Humidified Fuel Cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tucker, Telpriore G.

    This thesis focused on physicochemical and electrochemical projects directed towards two electrolyte types: 1) class of ionic liquids serving as electrolytes in the catholyte for alkali-metal ion conduction in batteries and 2) gel membrane for proton conduction in fuel cells; where overall aims were encouraged by the U.S. Department of Energy. Large-scale, sodium-ion batteries are seen as global solutions to providing undisrupted electricity from sustainable, but power-fluctuating, energy production in the near future. Foreseen ideal advantages are lower cost without sacrifice of desired high-energy densities relative to present lithium-ion and lead-acid battery systems. Na/NiCl2 (ZEBRA) and Na/S battery chemistries, suffer from high operation temperature (>300ºC) and safety concerns following major fires consequent of fuel mixing after cell-separator rupturing. Initial interest was utilizing low-melting organic ionic liquid, [EMI+][AlCl 4-], with well-known molten salt, NaAlCl4, to create a low-to-moderate operating temperature version of ZEBRA batteries; which have been subject of prior sodium battery research spanning decades. Isothermal conductivities of these electrolytes revealed a fundamental kinetic problem arisen from "alkali cation-trapping effect" yet relived by heat-ramping >140ºC. Battery testing based on [EMI+][FeCl4 -] with NaAlCl4 functioned exceptional (range 150-180ºC) at an impressive energy efficiency >96%. Newly prepared inorganic ionic liquid, [PBr4+][Al2Br7-]:NaAl2Br 7, melted at 94ºC. NaAl2Br7 exhibited super-ionic conductivity 10-1.75 Scm-1 at 62ºC ensued by solid-state rotator phase transition. Also improved thermal stability when tested to 265ºC and less expensive chemical synthesis. [PBr4 +][Al2Br7-] demonstrated remarkable, ionic decoupling in the liquid-state due to incomplete bromide-ion transfer depicted in NMR measurements. Fuel cells are electrochemical devices generating electrical energy reacting hydrogen/oxygen gases

  2. Self‐Regulative Nanogelator Solid Electrolyte: A New Option to Improve the Safety of Lithium Battery

    PubMed Central

    Wu, Feng; Chen, Nan; Zhu, Qizhen; Tan, Guoqiang; Li, Li

    2016-01-01

    The lack of suitable nonflammable electrolytes has delayed battery application in electric vehicles. A new approach to improve the safety performance for lithium battery is proposed here. This technology is based on a nanogelator‐based solid electrolyte made of porous oxides and an ionic liquid. The electrolyte is fabricated using an in situ method and the porous oxides serve as a nonflammable “nanogelator” that spontaneously immobilizes the ionic liquid. The electrolyte exhibits a high liquid‐like apparent ionic conductivity of 2.93 × 10−3 S cm−1 at room temperature. The results show that the nanogelator, which possess self‐regulating ability, is able to immobilize imidazolium‐, pyrrolidinium‐, or piperidinium‐based ionic liquids, simply by adjusting the ion transport channels. Our prototype batteries made of Ti‐nanogeltor solid electrolyte outperform conventional lithium batteries made using ionic liquid and commercial organic liquid electrolytes. PMID:27774385

  3. Relationship between pore size and reversible and irreversible immobilization of ionic liquid electrolytes in porous carbon under applied electric potential

    DOE PAGES

    Mahurin, Shannon M.; Mamontov, Eugene; Thompson, Matthew W.; ...

    2016-10-04

    Transport of electrolytes in nanoporous carbon-based electrodes largely defines the function and performance of energy storage devices. Here, using molecular dynamics simulation and quasielastic neutron scattering, we investigate the microscopic dynamics of a prototypical ionic liquid electrolyte, [emim][Tf 2N], under applied electric potential in carbon materials with 6.7 nm and 1.5 nm pores. The simulations demonstrate the formation of dense layers of counter-ions near the charged surfaces, which is reversible when the polarity is reversed. In the experiment, the ions immobilized near the surface manifest themselves in the elastic scattering signal. The experimentally observed ion immobilization near the wall ismore » fully reversible as a function of the applied electric potential in the 6.7 nm, but not in the 1.5 nm nanopores. In the latter case, remarkably, the first application of the electric potential leads to apparently irreversible immobilization of cations or anions, depending on the polarity, near the carbon pore walls. This unexpectedly demonstrates that in carbon electrode materials with the small pores, which are optimal for energy storage applications, the polarity of the electrical potential applied for the first time after the introduction of an ionic liquid electrolyte may define the decoration of the small pore walls with ions for prolonged periods of time and possibly for the lifetime of the electrode.« less

  4. Two-dimensional ion chromatography for the separation of ionic organophosphates generated in thermally decomposed lithium hexafluorophosphate-based lithium ion battery electrolytes.

    PubMed

    Kraft, Vadim; Grützke, Martin; Weber, Waldemar; Menzel, Jennifer; Wiemers-Meyer, Simon; Winter, Martin; Nowak, Sascha

    2015-08-28

    A two-dimensional ion chromatography (IC/IC) technique with heart-cutting mode for the separation of ionic organophosphates was developed. These analytes are generated during thermal degradation of three different commercially available Selectilyte™ lithium ion battery electrolytes. The composition of the investigated electrolytes is based on 1M lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) dissolved in ethylene carbonate/dimethyl carbonate (50:50wt%, LP30), ethylene carbonate/diethyl carbonate (50:50wt%, LP40) and ethylene carbonate/ethyl methyl carbonate (50:50wt%, LP50). The organophosphates were pre-separated from PF6(-) anion on the low capacity A Supp 4 column, which was eluted with a gradient step containing acetonitrile. The fraction containing analytes was retarded on a pre-concentration column and after that transferred to the high capacity columns, where the separation was performed isocratically. Different stationary phases and eluents were applied on the 2nd dimension for the investigation of retention times, whereas the highly promising results were obtained with a high capacitive A Supp 10 column. The organophosphates generated in LP30 and LP40 electrolytes could be separated by application of an aqueous NaOH eluent providing fast analysis time within 35min. For the separation of the organophosphates of LP50 electrolyte due to its complexity a NaOH eluent containing a mixture of methanol/H2O was necessary. In addition, the developed two dimensional IC method was hyphenated to an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) using aqueous NaOH without organic modifiers. This proof of principle measurement was carried out for future quantitative investigation regarding the concentration of the ionic organophosphates. Furthermore, the chemical stability of several ionic organophosphates in water and acetonitrile at room temperature over a period of 10h was investigated. In both solvents no decomposition of the investigated analytes was observed and

  5. Investigation of Structure and Transport in Li-Doped Ionic Liquid Electrolytes: [pyr14][TFSI], [pyr13][FSI], [EMIM][BF4

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Haskins, Justin Bradley; Bennett, William Raymond; Wu, James J.; Hernandez, Dionne M.; Borodin, Oleg; Monk, Joshua D.; Bauschlicher, Charles W., Jr.; Watson, John W.

    2014-01-01

    Ionic liquid electrolytes have been proposed as a means of improving the safety and cycling behavior of advanced lithium batteries; however, the properties of these electrolytes under high lithium doping are poorly understood. Here, we employ both polarizable molecular dynamics simulation and experiment to investigate the structure, thermodynamics and transport of three potential electrolytes, N-methyl-N-butylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsufonyl)imide ([pyr14][TFSI]), N- methyl-N-propylpyrrolidinium bis(fluorosufonyl)imide ([pyr13][FSI]), and 1-ethyl-3-- methylimidazolium boron tetrafluoride ([EMIM][BF4]), as a function of Li (-) salt concentration and temperature. Structurally, Li(+) is shown to be solvated by three anion neighbors in [pyr14][TFSI] and four anion neighbors in both [pyr13][FSI] and [EMIM][BF4], and at all levels of xLi we find the presence of lithium aggregates. Furthermore, the computed density, diffusion, viscosity, and ionic conductivity show excellent agreement with experimental data. While the diffusion and viscosity exhibit a systematic decrease and increase, respectively, with increasing xLi, the contribution of Li(+) to ionic conductivity increases until reaching a saturation doping level of xLi 0.10. Comparatively, the Li(+) conductivity of [pyr14][TFSI] is an order of magnitude lower than that of the other liquids, which range between 0.1-0.3 mScm. The differences in Li(+) transport are reflected in the residence times of Li(+) with the anions, which are revealed to be much larger for [pyr14][TFSI] (up to 100 ns at the highest doping levels) than in either [EMIM][BF4] or [pyr13][FSI]. Finally, we comment on the relative kinetics of Li(+) transport in each liquid and we present strong evidence for transport through anion exchange (hopping) as opposed to the net motion of Li(+) with its solvation shell (vehicular).

  6. On the thermal behavior of model Li-Li xCoO 2 systems containing ionic liquids in standard electrolyte solutions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Larush, L.; Borgel, V.; Markevich, E.; Haik, O.; Zinigrad, E.; Aurbach, D.; Semrau, G.; Schmidt, M.

    We report herein on the possibility of using ionic liquids (ILs) as additives to conventional electrolyte solutions, based on alkyl carbonates and LiPF 6 for attenuating thermal reactions in Li battery systems. As a model, a Li-Li 0.5CoO 2 system was used. The ionic liquids chosen included cations based on derivatives of pyrrolidinium and imidazolium, and the anions bioxalato borate (C 4O 8B -, BOB), (CH 3SO 2) 2N - (TFSI), and PF 3(C 2S 5) 3 - (FAP). The thermal behavior of solutions alone, solutions with Li metal, Li 0.5CoO 2 and Li metal + Li 0.5CoO 2 was studied. It was found that the presence of 10% of ILs, with derivatives of pyrrolidinium cations and FAP or TFSI anions in standard EC-DMC/LiPF 6 solutions, improves considerably the thermal stability of Li 0.5CoO 2 in electrolyte solutions. The onset temperatures of the thermal reactions of Li 0.5CoO 2 with solution species are higher and their heat evolution is considerably lower, when they contain these ionic liquids as additives. This finding opens the door for further studies and optimization of the use of selected ILs as additives that may improve the safety features of Li-ion batteries.

  7. Poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) polymer electrolyte for paper-based and flexible battery applications

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Aliahmad, Nojan; Shrestha, Sudhir; Varahramyan, Kody

    2016-06-15

    Paper-based batteries represent a new frontier in battery technology. However, low-flexibility and poor ionic conductivity of solid electrolytes have been major impediments in achieving practical mechanically flexible batteries. This work discuss new highly ionic conductive polymer gel electrolytes for paper-based battery applications. In this paper, we present a poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDH-HFP) porous membrane electrolyte enhanced with lithium bis(trifluoromethane sulphone)imide (LiTFSI) and lithium aluminum titanium phosphate (LATP), with an ionic conductivity of 2.1 × 10{sup −3} S cm{sup −1}. Combining ceramic (LATP) with the gel structure of PVDF-HFP and LiTFSI ionic liquid harnesses benefits of ceramic and gel electrolytes in providingmore » flexible electrolytes with a high ionic conductivity. In a flexibility test experiment, bending the polymer electrolyte at 90° for 20 times resulted in 14% decrease in ionic conductivity. Efforts to further improving the flexibility of the presented electrolyte are ongoing. Using this electrolyte, full-cell batteries with lithium titanium oxide (LTO) and lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) electrodes and (i) standard metallic current collectors and (ii) paper-based current collectors were fabricated and tested. The achieved specific capacities were (i) 123 mAh g{sup −1} for standard metallic current collectors and (ii) 99.5 mAh g{sup −1} for paper-based current collectors. Thus, the presented electrolyte has potential to become a viable candidate in paper-based and flexible battery applications. Fabrication methods, experimental procedures, and test results for the polymer gel electrolyte and batteries are presented and discussed.« less

  8. The Electrostatic Screening Length in Concentrated Electrolytes Increases with Concentration.

    PubMed

    Smith, Alexander M; Lee, Alpha A; Perkin, Susan

    2016-06-16

    According to classical electrolyte theories interactions in dilute (low ion density) electrolytes decay exponentially with distance, with the Debye screening length the characteristic length scale. This decay length decreases monotonically with increasing ion concentration due to effective screening of charges over short distances. Thus, within the Debye model no long-range forces are expected in concentrated electrolytes. Here we reveal, using experimental detection of the interaction between two planar charged surfaces across a wide range of electrolytes, that beyond the dilute (Debye-Hückel) regime the screening length increases with increasing concentration. The screening lengths for all electrolytes studied-including aqueous NaCl solutions, ionic liquids diluted with propylene carbonate, and pure ionic liquids-collapse onto a single curve when scaled by the dielectric constant. This nonmonotonic variation of the screening length with concentration, and its generality across ionic liquids and aqueous salt solutions, demonstrates an important characteristic of concentrated electrolytes of substantial relevance from biology to energy storage.

  9. Characterization of conducting cellulose acetate based polymer electrolytes doped with "green" ionic mixture.

    PubMed

    Ramesh, S; Shanti, R; Morris, Ezra

    2013-01-02

    Polymer electrolytes were developed by solution casting technique utilizing the materials of cellulose acetate (CA), lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) and deep eutectic solvent (DES). The DES is synthesized from the mixture of choline chloride and urea of 1:2 ratios. The increasing DES content well plasticizes the CA:LiTFSI:DES matrix and gradually improves the ionic conductivity and chemical integrity. The highest conducting sample was identified for the composition of CA:LiTFSI:DES (28 wt.%:12 wt.%:60 wt.%), which has the greatest ability to retain the room temperature ionic conductivity over the entire 30 days of storage time. The changes in FTIR cage peaks upon varying the DES content in CA:LiTFSI:DES prove the complexation. This complexation results in the collapse of CA matrix crystallinity, observed from the reduced intensity of XRD diffraction peaks. The DES-plasticized sample is found to be more heat-stable compared to pure CA. Nevertheless, the addition of DES diminishes the CA:LiTFSI matrix's heat-resistivity but at the minimum addition the thermal stability is enhanced. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. High elastic modulus polymer electrolytes

    DOEpatents

    Balsara, Nitash Pervez; Singh, Mohit; Eitouni, Hany Basam; Gomez, Enrique Daniel

    2013-10-22

    A polymer that combines high ionic conductivity with the structural properties required for Li electrode stability is useful as a solid phase electrolyte for high energy density, high cycle life batteries that do not suffer from failures due to side reactions and dendrite growth on the Li electrodes, and other potential applications. The polymer electrolyte includes a linear block copolymer having a conductive linear polymer block with a molecular weight of at least 5000 Daltons, a structural linear polymer block with an elastic modulus in excess of 1.times.10.sup.7 Pa and an ionic conductivity of at least 1.times.10.sup.-5 Scm.sup.-1. The electrolyte is made under dry conditions to achieve the noted characteristics.

  11. Ultramicroelectrode voltammetry and scanning electrochemical microscopy in room-temperature ionic liquid electrolytes.

    PubMed

    Walsh, Darren A; Lovelock, Kevin R J; Licence, Peter

    2010-11-01

    The high viscosity and unusual properties of room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) present a number of challenges when performing steady-state voltammetry and scanning electrochemical microscopy in RTILs. These include difficulties in recording steady-state currents at ultramicroelectrode surfaces due to low diffusion coefficients of redox species and problems associated with unequal diffusion coefficients of oxidised and reduced species in RTILs. In this tutorial review, we highlight the recent progress in the use of RTILs as electrolytes for ultramicroelectrode voltammetry and SECM. We describe the basic principles of ultramicroelectrode voltammetry and SECM and, using examples from the recent literature, we discuss the conditions that must be met to perform steady-state voltammetry and SECM measurements in RTILs. Finally, we briefly discuss the electrochemical insights that can be obtained from such measurements.

  12. A new percolation model for composite solid electrolytes and dispersed ionic conductors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Risyad Hasyim, Muhammad; Lanagan, Michael T.

    2018-02-01

    Composite solid electrolytes (CSEs) including conductor/insulator composites known as dispersed ionic conductors (DICs) have motivated the development of novel percolation models that describe their conductivity. Despite the long history, existing models lack in one or more key areas: (1) rigorous foundation for their physical theory, (2) explanation for non-universal conductor-insulator transition, (3) classification of DICs, and (4) extension to frequency-domain. This work describes a frequency-domain effective medium approximation (EMA) of a bond percolation model for CSEs. The EMA is derived entirely from Maxwell’s equations and contains basic microstructure parameters. The model was applied successfully to several composite systems from literature. Simulations and fitting of literature data address these key areas and illustrate the interplay between space charge layer properties and bulk microstructure.

  13. Bio-sorbable, liquid electrolyte gated thin-film transistor based on a solution-processed zinc oxide layer.

    PubMed

    Singh, Mandeep; Palazzo, Gerardo; Romanazzi, Giuseppe; Suranna, Gian Paolo; Ditaranto, Nicoletta; Di Franco, Cinzia; Santacroce, Maria Vittoria; Mulla, Mohammad Yusuf; Magliulo, Maria; Manoli, Kyriaki; Torsi, Luisa

    2014-01-01

    Among the metal oxide semiconductors, ZnO has been widely investigated as a channel material in thin-film transistors (TFTs) due to its excellent electrical properties, optical transparency and simple fabrication via solution-processed techniques. Herein, we report a solution-processable ZnO-based thin-film transistor gated through a liquid electrolyte with an ionic strength comparable to that of a physiological fluid. The surface morphology and chemical composition of the ZnO films upon exposure to water and phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) are discussed in terms of the operation stability and electrical performance of the ZnO TFT devices. The improved device characteristics upon exposure to PBS are associated with the enhancement of the oxygen vacancies in the ZnO lattice due to Na(+) doping. Moreover, the dissolution kinetics of the ZnO thin film in a liquid electrolyte opens the possible applicability of these devices as an active element in "transient" implantable systems.

  14. Graphene-based supercapacitors in the parallel-plate electrode configuration: ionic liquids versus organic electrolytes.

    PubMed

    Shim, Youngseon; Kim, Hyung J; Jung, Younjoon

    2012-01-01

    Supercapacitors with two single-sheet graphene electrodes in the parallel plate geometry are studied via molecular dynamics (MD) computer simulations. Pure 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMI+BF4-) and a 1.1 M solution of EMI+BF4- in acetonitrile are considered as prototypes of room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) and organic electrolytes. Electrolyte structure, charge density and associated electric potential are investigated by varying the charges and separation of the two electrodes. Multiple charge layers formed in the electrolytes in the vicinity of the electrodes are found to screen the electrode surface charge almost completely. As a result, the supercapacitors show nearly an ideal electric double layer behavior, i.e., the electric potential exhibits essentially a plateau behavior in the entire electrolyte region except for sharp changes in screening zones very close to the electrodes. Due to its small size and large charge separation, BF4- is considerably more efficient in shielding electrode charges than EMI+. In the case of the acetonitrile solution, acetonitrile also plays an important role by aligning its dipoles near the electrodes; however, the overall screening mainly arises from ions. Because of the disparity of shielding efficiency between cations and anions, the capacitance of the positively-charged anode is significantly larger than that of the negatively-charged cathode. Therefore, the total cell capacitance in the parallel plate configuration is primarily governed by the cathode. Ion conductivity obtained via the Green-Kubo (GK) method is found to be largely independent of the electrode surface charge. Interestingly, EMI+BF4- shows higher GK ion conductivity than the 1.1 M acetonitrile solution between two parallel plate electrodes.

  15. Direct Observation of Virtual Electrode Formation Through a Novel Electrolyte-to-Electrode Transition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Siegel, David; El Gabaly, Farid; Bartelt, Norman; McCarty, Kevin

    2014-03-01

    Novel electrochemical solutions to problems in energy storage and transportation can drive renewable energy to become an economically viable alternative to fossil fuels. In many electrochemical systems, the behavior of a device can be fundamentally limited by the surface area of a triple phase boundary, the boundary region where a gas-phase species, electrode, and electrolyte coincide. When the electrode is an ionic insulator the triple phase boundary is typically a one-dimensional boundary with nanometer-scale thickness: ions cannot transport through the electrode, while electrons cannot be transported through the electrolyte. Here we present direct experimental measurements of a novel electrolyte-to-electrode transition with photoemission electron microscopy, and observe that the surface of an ionically conductive, electronically insulative solid oxide electrolyte undergoes a transition into a mixed electron-ion conductor in the vicinity of a metal electrode. Our direct experimental measurements allow us to characterize this system and address the mechanisms of ionic reactions and transport through comparisons with theoretical modeling to provide us with a physical picture of the processes involved. Our results provide insight into one of the mechanisms of ion transport in an electrochemical cell that may be generalizable to other systems.

  16. Ionic-Liquid-Mediated Extraction and Separation Processes for Bioactive Compounds: Past, Present, and Future Trends.

    PubMed

    Ventura, Sónia P M; E Silva, Francisca A; Quental, Maria V; Mondal, Dibyendu; Freire, Mara G; Coutinho, João A P

    2017-05-24

    Ionic liquids (ILs) have been proposed as promising media for the extraction and separation of bioactive compounds from the most diverse origins. This critical review offers a compilation on the main results achieved by the use of ionic-liquid-based processes in the extraction and separation/purification of a large range of bioactive compounds (including small organic extractable compounds from biomass, lipids, and other hydrophobic compounds, proteins, amino acids, nucleic acids, and pharmaceuticals). ILs have been studied as solvents, cosolvents, cosurfactants, electrolytes, and adjuvants, as well as used in the creation of IL-supported materials for separation purposes. The IL-based processes hitherto reported, such as IL-based solid-liquid extractions, IL-based liquid-liquid extractions, IL-modified materials, and IL-based crystallization approaches, are here reviewed and compared in terms of extraction and separation performance. The key accomplishments and future challenges to the field are discussed, with particular emphasis on the major lacunas found within the IL community dedicated to separation processes and by suggesting some steps to overcome the current limitations.

  17. Ionic-Liquid-Mediated Extraction and Separation Processes for Bioactive Compounds: Past, Present, and Future Trends

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    Ionic liquids (ILs) have been proposed as promising media for the extraction and separation of bioactive compounds from the most diverse origins. This critical review offers a compilation on the main results achieved by the use of ionic-liquid-based processes in the extraction and separation/purification of a large range of bioactive compounds (including small organic extractable compounds from biomass, lipids, and other hydrophobic compounds, proteins, amino acids, nucleic acids, and pharmaceuticals). ILs have been studied as solvents, cosolvents, cosurfactants, electrolytes, and adjuvants, as well as used in the creation of IL-supported materials for separation purposes. The IL-based processes hitherto reported, such as IL-based solid–liquid extractions, IL-based liquid–liquid extractions, IL-modified materials, and IL-based crystallization approaches, are here reviewed and compared in terms of extraction and separation performance. The key accomplishments and future challenges to the field are discussed, with particular emphasis on the major lacunas found within the IL community dedicated to separation processes and by suggesting some steps to overcome the current limitations. PMID:28151648

  18. Conductivity of gel polymer electrolytes doped with solutions of phosphonic acid or protic ionic liquids

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shmukler, Liudmila E.; Fadeeva, Yuliya A.; Glushenkova, Ekaterina V.; Nguyen, Van Thuc; Safonova, Liubov P.

    2018-04-01

    The proton-conducting gel electrolytes (PCGEs) based on PMMA, PVdF or PVdF-HFP doped with solutions of phosphonic acid or ammonium based protic ionic liquids (PILs) in DMF have been synthesized. Rather high values of the conductivity (10-4-10-3 S cm-1) have been reached at low dopant concentrations (up to 1 mol l-1). The influence of the nature of both polymeric matrix and dopant as well as dopant concentration on the conductivity values was discussed. It was established that the dependence of conductivity on the nature of dopant, but not the polymeric matrix, was more pronounced.

  19. Ionic structure in liquids confined by dielectric interfaces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jing, Yufei; Jadhao, Vikram; Zwanikken, Jos W.; Olvera de la Cruz, Monica

    2015-11-01

    The behavior of ions in liquids confined between macromolecules determines the outcome of many nanoscale assembly processes in synthetic and biological materials such as colloidal dispersions, emulsions, hydrogels, DNA, cell membranes, and proteins. Theoretically, the macromolecule-liquid boundary is often modeled as a dielectric interface and an important quantity of interest is the ionic structure in a liquid confined between two such interfaces. The knowledge gleaned from the study of ionic structure in such models can be useful in several industrial applications, such as in the design of double-layer supercapacitors for energy storage and in the extraction of metal ions from wastewater. In this article, we compute the ionic structure in a model system of electrolyte confined by two planar dielectric interfaces using molecular dynamics simulations and liquid state theory. We explore the effects of high electrolyte concentrations, multivalent ions, dielectric contrasts, and external electric field on the ionic distributions. We observe the presence of non-monotonic ionic density profiles leading to a layered structure in the fluid which is attributed to the competition between electrostatic and steric (entropic) interactions. We find that thermal forces that arise from symmetry breaking at the interfaces can have a profound effect on the ionic structure and can oftentimes overwhelm the influence of the dielectric discontinuity. The combined effect of ionic correlations and inhomogeneous dielectric permittivity significantly changes the character of the effective interaction between the two interfaces.

  20. Aggregate-mediated charge transport in ionomeric electrolytes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, Keran; Maranas, Janna; Milner, Scott

    Polymers such PEO can conduct ions, and have been studied as possible replacements for organic liquid electrolytes in rechargeable metal-ion batteries. More generally, fast room-temperature ionic conduction has been reported for a variety of materials, from liquids to crystalline solids. Unfortunately, polymer electrolytes generally have limited conductivity; these polymers are too viscous to have fast ion diffusion like liquids, and too unstructured to promote cooperative transport like crystalline solids. Ionomers are polymer electrolytes in which ionic groups are covalently bound to the polymer backbone, neutralized by free counterions. These materials also conduct ions, and can exhibit strong ionic aggregation. Using coarse-grained molecular dynamics, we explore the forces driving ionic aggregation, and describe the role ion aggregates have in mediating charge transport. The aggregates are string-like such that ions typically have two neighbors. We find ion aggregates self-assemble like worm-like micelles. Excess charge, or free ions, occasionally coordinate with aggregates and are transported along the chain in a Grotthuss-like mechanism. We propose that controlling ionomer aggregate structure through materials design can enhance cooperative ion transport.

  1. Ionic Liquids in Lithium-Ion Batteries.

    PubMed

    Balducci, Andrea

    2017-04-01

    Lithium-ion batteries are among the most widespread energy storage devices in our society. In order to introduce these devices in new key applications such as transportation, however, their safety and their operative temperature range need to be significantly improved. These improvements can be obtained only by developing new electrolytes. Ionic liquids are presently considered among the most attractive electrolytes for the development of advanced and safer lithium-ion batteries. In this manuscript, the use of various types of ionic liquids, e.g. aprotic and protic, in lithium-ion batteries is considered. The advantages and the limits associated to the use of these innovative electrolytes are critically analysed.

  2. Effect of Dispersoid on Sulfonium Ionic Liquid Based Gel Polymer Electrolyte for Lithium Secondary Battery.

    PubMed

    Muthupradeepa, R; Sivakumar, M; Subadevi, R; Suryanarayanan, V; Liu, Wei-Ren

    2018-01-01

    The present study emphases on the effect of toting of TiO2 filler on the electrochemical enactment of polymer electrolyte containing PVdF-co-HFP(30) + SEt3TFSI(10) + EC/PC(60) + TiO2(x) wt% (Poly (vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene + Triethylsulfoniumbis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide + Ethylene carbonate/Propylene carbonate (1:1 ratio) + Titanium dioxide) for lithium battery applications. Composite electrolytes with different weight percentages of TiO2 were prepared and characterized by different surface analytical, thermal and electrochemical techniques. With gradual increase of the amount of TiO2 upto 6 wt%, broadening of the prominent peak has been noted, suggesting a decrease in the degree of crystallinity upon the addition of TiO2, as revealed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Raman and FT-IR studies confirm the presence of various functional groups, present in the matrix. The electrolyte with TiO2 (6 wt%) has maximum stability of 460 °C, as confirmed by thermal analysis. Conductivity of the composite polymer electrolytes increases upto 6 wt% of TiO2 (3.42 × 10-3 S/cm at 303 K) and further addition, causes a dip down in conductivity, indicating an improvement in the ionic conductivity and thermal stability with the incorporation of TiO2 filler. Surface morphologic images show the presence of surface and cavity in the polymer matrix, filled with the filler uniformly. Voltammetric studies confirm the electrochemical stability of films upto 4.62 V. Coin cell containing Li anode and LiFePO4 cathode along with polymer electrolyte/6 wt% TiO2 filler, delivers a first discharge capacity of 145 mAh/g with the working voltage of 3.4 V.

  3. Investigation of Structure and Transport in Li-Doped Ionic Liquid Electrolytes: [pyr14][TFSI], [pyr13][FSI] and [EMIM][BF4

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Haskins, Justin B.; Bennett, William R.; Hernandez-Lugo, Dione M.; Wu, James; Borodin, Oleg; Monk, Joshua D.; Bauschlicher, Charles W.; Lawson, John W.

    2014-01-01

    Ionic liquid electrolytes have been proposed as a means of improving the safety and cycling behavior of advanced lithium batteries; however, the properties of these electrolytes under high lithium doping are poorly understood. Here, we employ both polarizable molecular dynamics simulation and experiment to investigate the structure, thermodynamics and transport of three potential electrolytes, N-methyl-Nbutylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsufonyl)imide ([pyr14][TFSI]), N- methyl-Npropylpyrrolidinium bis(fluorosufonyl)imide ([pyr13][FSI]), and 1-ethyl-3-- methylimidazolium boron tetrafluoride ([EMIM][BF4]), as a function of Li-salt concentration and temperature. Structurally, Li(+) is shown to be solvated by three anion neighbors in [pyr14][TFSI] and four anion neighbors in both [pyr13][FSI] and [EMIM][BF4], and at all levels of x(sub Li) we find the presence of lithium aggregates. Furthermore, the computed density, diffusion, viscosity, and ionic conductivity show excellent agreement with experimental data. While the diffusion and viscosity exhibit a systematic decrease and increase, respectively, with increasing x(sub Li), the contribution of Li(+) to ionic conductivity increases until reaching a saturation doping level of x(sub Li) is approximately 0.10. Comparatively, the Li(+) conductivity of [pyr14][TFSI] is an order of magnitude lower than that of the other liquids, which range between 0.1 - 0.3 mS/cm. The differences in Li(+) transport are reflected in the residence times of Li(+) with the anions, which are revealed to be much larger for [pyr14][TFSI] (up to 100 ns at the highest doping levels) than in either [EMIM][BF4] or [pyr13][FSI]. Finally, we comment on the relative kinetics of Li(+) transport in each liquid and we present strong evidence for transport through anion exchange (hopping) as opposed to the net motion of Li(+) with its solvation shell (vehicular).

  4. Ionic conductors for solid oxide fuel cells

    DOEpatents

    Krumpelt, Michael; Bloom, Ira D.; Pullockaran, Jose D.; Myles, Kevin M.

    1993-01-01

    An electrolyte that operates at temperatures ranging from 600.degree. C. to 800.degree. C. is provided. The electrolyte conducts charge ionically as well as electronically. The ionic conductors include molecular framework structures having planes or channels large enough to transport oxides or hydrated protons and having net-positive or net-negative charges. Representative molecular framework structures include substituted aluminum phosphates, orthosilicates, silicoaluminates, cordierites, apatites, sodalites, and hollandites.

  5. From Solvent-Free to Dilute Electrolytes: Essential Components for a Continuum Theory.

    PubMed

    Gavish, Nir; Elad, Doron; Yochelis, Arik

    2018-01-04

    The increasing number of experimental observations on highly concentrated electrolytes and ionic liquids show qualitative features that are distinct from dilute or moderately concentrated electrolytes, such as self-assembly, multiple-time relaxation, and underscreening, which all impact the emergence of fluid/solid interfaces, and the transport in these systems. Because these phenomena are not captured by existing mean-field models of electrolytes, there is a paramount need for a continuum framework for highly concentrated electrolytes and ionic liquid mixtures. In this work, we present a self-consistent spatiotemporal framework for a ternary composition that comprises ions and solvent employing a free energy that consists of short- and long-range interactions, along with an energy dissipation mechanism obtained by Onsager's relations. We show that the model can describe multiple bulk and interfacial morphologies at steady-state. Thus, the dynamic processes in the emergence of distinct morphologies become equally as important as the interactions that are specified by the free energy. The model equations not only provide insights into transport mechanisms beyond the Stokes-Einstein-Smoluchowski relations but also enable qualitative recovery of three distinct regions in the full range of the nonmonotonic electrical screening length that has been recently observed in experiments in which organic solvent is used to dilute ionic liquids.

  6. Theory of space-charge polarization for determining ionic constants of electrolytic solutions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sawada, Atsushi

    2007-06-01

    A theoretical expression of the complex dielectric constant attributed to space-charge polarization has been derived under an electric field calculated using Poisson's equation considering the effects of bound charges on ions. The frequency dependence of the complex dielectric constant of chlorobenzene solutions doped with tetrabutylammonium tetraphenylborate (TBATPB) has been analyzed using the theoretical expression, and the impact of the bound charges on the complex dielectric constant has been clarified quantitatively in comparison with a theory that does not consider the effect of the bound charges. The Stokes radius of TBA +(=TPB-) determined by the present theory shows a good agreement with that determined by conductometry in the past; hence, the present theory should be applicable to the direct determination of the mobility of ion species in an electrolytic solution without the need to measure ionic limiting equivalent conductance and transport number.

  7. Light emission from organic single crystals operated by electrolyte doping

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Matsuki, Keiichiro; Sakanoue, Tomo; Yomogida, Yohei; Hotta, Shu; Takenobu, Taishi

    2018-03-01

    Light-emitting devices based on electrolytes, such as light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs) and electric double-layer transistors (EDLTs), are solution-processable devices with a very simple structure. Therefore, it is necessary to apply this device structure into highly fluorescent organic materials for future printed applications. However, owing to compatibility problems between electrolytes and organic crystals, electrolyte-based single-crystal light-emitting devices have not yet been demonstrated. Here, we report on light-emitting devices based on organic single crystals and electrolytes. As the fluorescent materials, α,ω-bis(biphenylyl)terthiophene (BP3T) and 5,6,11,12-tetraphenylnaphthacene (rubrene) single crystals were selected. Using ionic liquids as electrolytes, we observed clear light emission from BP3T LECs and rubrene EDLTs.

  8. Ionic-Liquid-Based Polymer Electrolytes for Battery Applications.

    PubMed

    Osada, Irene; de Vries, Henrik; Scrosati, Bruno; Passerini, Stefano

    2016-01-11

    The advent of solid-state polymer electrolytes for application in lithium batteries took place more than four decades ago when the ability of polyethylene oxide (PEO) to dissolve suitable lithium salts was demonstrated. Since then, many modifications of this basic system have been proposed and tested, involving the addition of conventional, carbonate-based electrolytes, low molecular weight polymers, ceramic fillers, and others. This Review focuses on ternary polymer electrolytes, that is, ion-conducting systems consisting of a polymer incorporating two salts, one bearing the lithium cation and the other introducing additional anions capable of plasticizing the polymer chains. Assessing the state of the research field of solid-state, ternary polymer electrolytes, while giving background on the whole field of polymer electrolytes, this Review is expected to stimulate new thoughts and ideas on the challenges and opportunities of lithium-metal batteries. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  9. Communication: Modeling electrolyte mixtures with concentration dependent dielectric permittivity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Hsieh; Panagiotopoulos, Athanassios Z.

    2018-01-01

    We report a new implicit-solvent simulation model for electrolyte mixtures based on the concept of concentration dependent dielectric permittivity. A combining rule is found to predict the dielectric permittivity of electrolyte mixtures based on the experimentally measured dielectric permittivity for pure electrolytes as well as the mole fractions of the electrolytes in mixtures. Using grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations, we demonstrate that this approach allows us to accurately reproduce the mean ionic activity coefficients of NaCl in NaCl-CaCl2 mixtures at ionic strengths up to I = 3M. These results are important for thermodynamic studies of geologically relevant brines and physiological fluids.

  10. Functional Materials from Polymeric Ionic Liquids

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Segalman, Rachel; Sanoja, Gabriel; Michenfelder-Schauser, Nicole; Mitragotri, Samir; Seshadri, Ram

    Ionic liquids (IL's) have been suggested for applications as diverse as solubilizing cellulose, antimicrobial treatments, and electrolytes in batteries due to their molten salt properties. A polymeric cation (such as imidazolium) is an excellent host for any associated anion. As a result, polymerized ionic liquids are not just solid counterparts to IL's, but are shown to be vectors for the inclusion of a wide variety of functionalities ranging from multi-valent ions to magnetic anions. Moreover, PIL block copolymers allow orthogonal control over mechanical and morphological properties, ultimately leading to a conceptual framework for processable, tunable, multifunctional materials.

  11. Composite electrode/electrolyte structure

    DOEpatents

    Visco, Steven J.; Jacobson, Craig P.; DeJonghe, Lutgard C.

    2004-01-27

    Provided is an electrode fabricated from highly electronically conductive materials such as metals, metal alloys, or electronically conductive ceramics. The electronic conductivity of the electrode substrate is maximized. Onto this electrode in the green state, a green ionic (e.g., electrolyte) film is deposited and the assembly is co-fired at a temperature suitable to fully densify the film while the substrate retains porosity. Subsequently, a catalytic material is added to the electrode structure by infiltration of a metal salt and subsequent low temperature firing. The invention allows for an electrode with high electronic conductivity and sufficient catalytic activity to achieve high power density in ionic (electrochemical) devices such as fuel cells and electrolytic gas separation systems.

  12. Solid-State Ionic Diodes Demonstrated in Conical Nanopores

    DOE PAGES

    Plett, Timothy S.; Cai, Wenjia; Le Thai, Mya; ...

    2017-02-27

    Ionic transport at the nanoscale features phenomena that are not observed in larger systems. Nonlinear current–voltage curves characteristic of ionic diodes as well as ion selectivity are examples of effects observed at the nanoscale. Many man-made nanopore systems are inspired by biological channels in a cell membrane, thus measurements are often performed in aqueous solutions. Consequently, much less is known about ionic transport in nonaqueous systems, especially in solid-state electrolytes. Here we show ionic transport through single pores filled with gel electrolyte of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) doped with LiClO 4 in propylene carbonate. The system has no liquid interface andmore » the ionic transport occurs through the porous gel structure. We demonstrate that a conically shaped nanopore filled with the gel rectifies the current and works as a solid-state ionic diode.« less

  13. Transport and spectroscopic studies of liquid and polymer electrolytes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bopege, Dharshani Nimali

    Liquid and polymer electrolytes are interesting and important materials to study as they are used in Li rechargeable batteries and other electrochemical devices. It is essential to investigate the fundamental properties of electrolytes such as ionic conductivity, diffusion, and ionic association to enhance battery performance in different battery markets. This dissertation mainly focuses on the temperature-dependent charge and mass transport processes and ionic association of different electrolyte systems. Impedance spectroscopy and pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were used to measure the ionic conductivity and diffusion coefficients of ketone and acetate based liquid electrolytes. In this study, charge and mass transport in non-aqueous liquid electrolytes have been viewed from an entirely different perspective by introducing the compensated Arrhenius formalism. Here, the conductivity and diffusion coefficient are written as an Arrhenius-like expression with a temperature-dependent static dielectric constant dependence in the exponential prefactor. The compensated Arrhenius formalism reported in this dissertation very accurately describes temperature-dependent conductivity data for acetate and ketone-based electrolytes as well as temperature-dependent diffusion data of pure solvents. We found that calculated average activation energies of ketone-based electrolytes are close to each other for both conductivity and diffusion data (in the range 24-26 kJ/mol). Also, this study shows that average activation energies of acetate-based electrolytes are higher than those for the ketone systems (in the range 33-37 kJ/mol). Further, we observed higher dielectric constants and ionic conductivities for both dilute and concentrated ketone solutions with temperature. Vibrational spectroscopy (Infrared and Raman) was used to probe intermolecular interactions in both polymer and liquid electrolytes, particularly those which contain lithium

  14. Computational modeling of the structure and the ionic conductivity of the solid electrolyte materials Li3AsS4 and its Ge substitutions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Al-Qawasmeh, Ahmad; Holzwarth, N. A. W.

    Oak Ridge National Laboratory (G. Sahu et al.) reported that the substitution of Ge into Li3AsS4 leads to the composition Li3.334Ge0.334As0.666S4 with impressively high ionic conductivity . We use ab initio calculations to examine the structural relationships and the ionic conductivity mechanisms for pure Li3AsS4, Li3.334Ge0.334As0.666S4, and other compositions of these electrolytes. Supported by NSF Grant DMR-1105485 and 1507942 and WFU's DEAC cluster.

  15. Electrode-Impregnable and Cross-Linkable Poly(ethylene oxide)-Poly(propylene oxide)-Poly(ethylene oxide) Triblock Polymer Electrolytes with High Ionic Conductivity and a Large Voltage Window for Flexible Solid-State Supercapacitors.

    PubMed

    Han, Jae Hee; Lee, Jang Yong; Suh, Dong Hack; Hong, Young Taik; Kim, Tae-Ho

    2017-10-04

    We present cross-linkable precursor-type gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) that have large ionic liquid uptake capability, can easily penetrate electrodes, have high ion conductivity, and are mechanically strong as high-performance, flexible all-solid-state supercapacitors (SC). Our polymer precursors feature a hydrophilic-hydrophobic poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO-PPO-PEO) triblock main-chain structure and trifunctional silane end groups that can be multi-cross-linked with each other through a sol-gel process. The cross-linked solid-state electrolyte film with moderate IL content (200 wt %) shows a well-balanced combination of excellent ionic conductivity (5.0 × 10 -3 S cm -1 ) and good mechanical stability (maximum strain = 194%). Moreover, our polymer electrolytes have various advantages including high thermal stability (decomposition temperature > 330 °C) and the capability to impregnate electrodes to form an excellent electrode-electrolyte interface due to the very low viscosity of the precursors. By assembling our GPE-impregnated electrodes and solid-state GPE film, we demonstrate an all-solid-state SC that can operate at 3 V and provides an improved specific capacitance (112.3 F g -1 at 0.1 A g -1 ), better rate capability (64% capacity retention until 20 A g -1 ), and excellent cycle stability (95% capacitance decay over 10 000 charge/discharge cycles) compared with those of a reference SC using a conventional PEO electrolyte. Finally, flexible SCs with a high energy density (22.6 W h kg -1 at 1 A g -1 ) and an excellent flexibility (>93% capacitance retention after 5000 bending cycles) can successfully be obtained.

  16. Supercapacitors based on modified graphene electrodes with poly(ionic liquid)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Trigueiro, João Paulo C.; Lavall, Rodrigo L.; Silva, Glaura G.

    2014-06-01

    The improved accessibility of the electrolyte to the surface of carbon nanomaterials is a challenge to be overcome in supercapacitors based on ionic liquid electrolytes. In this study, we report the preparation of supercapacitors based on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) electrodes and ionic liquid as the electrolyte (specifically, 1-methyl-1-propylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide or [MPPy][TFSI]). Two types of electrodes were compared: the RGO-based electrode and a poly(ionic liquid)-modified RGO electrode (PIL:RGO). The supercapacitor produced with the PIL:RGO electrode and [MPPy][TFSI] showed an electrochemical stability of 3 V and provided a capacitance of 71.5 F g-1 at room temperature; this capacitance is 130% higher with respect to the RGO-based supercapacitor. The decrease of the specific capacitance after 2000 cycles is only 10% for the PIL:RGO-based device. The results revealed the potential of the PIL:RGO material as an electrode for supercapacitors. This composite electrode increases the compatibility with the ionic liquid electrolyte compared to an RGO electrode, promoting an increase in the effective surface area of the electrode accessible to the electrolyte ions.

  17. Non-flammable polyphosphonate electrolytes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dixon, Brian G.; Morris, R. Scott; Dallek, Steven

    This research is directed towards the development of safe, and thermally stable polymeric electrolytes. Advanced electrolytes are described, including thermal test data, which are ionically highly conductive, and non-flammable. These novel multi-heteropolymer electrolytes represent a significant advance in the design of high-performance rechargeable lithium systems that possess superior safety and handling characteristics. Representative results are shown by the figures contained in this text. These DSC/TGA results compare a typical liquid carbonate-based electrolyte system, ethylene carbonate and ethyl methyl carbonate, with novel polyphosphonates as synthesized in this program. These tests were performed with the electrolytes in combination with lithium metal, and the impressive relative thermal stability of the phosphonates is apparent.

  18. New Polymer Electrolyte Cell Systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Smyrl, William H.; Owens, Boone B.; Mann, Kent; Pappenfus, T.; Henderson, W.

    2004-01-01

    PAPERS PUBLISHED: 1. Pappenfus, Ted M.; Henderson, Wesley A.; Owens, Boone B.; Mann, Kent R.; Smyrl, William H. Complexes of Lithium Imide Salts with Tetraglyme and Their Polyelectrolyte Composite Materials. Journal of the Electrochemical Society (2004), 15 1 (2), A209-A2 15. 2. Pappenfus, Ted M.; Henderson, Wesley A.; Owens, Boone B.; Mann, Kent R.; Smyrl, William H. Ionic-liquidlpolymer electrolyte composite materials for electrochemical device applications. Polymeric Materials Science and Engineering (2003), 88 302. 3. Pappenfus, Ted R.; Henderson, Wesley A.; Owens, Boone B.; Mann, Kent R.; and Smyrl, William H. Ionic Conductivity of a poly(vinylpyridinium)/Silver Iodide Solid Polymer Electrolyte System. Solid State Ionics (in press 2004). 4. Pappenfus Ted M.; Mann, Kent R; Smyrl, William H. Polyelectrolyte Composite Materials with LiPFs and Tetraglyme. Electrochemical and Solid State Letters, (2004), 7(8), A254.

  19. Synthesis of hetero ionic compounds using dialkylcarbonate quaternization

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Friesen, Cody A.; Wolfe, Derek; Johnson, Paul Bryan

    2017-09-19

    Methods of preparing hetero ionic complexes, and ionic liquids from bisulfate salts of heteroatomic compounds using dialkylcarbonates as a primary quaternizing reactant are disclosed. Also disclosed are methods of making electrochemical cells comprising the ionic liquids, and an electrochemical cell comprising an alkaline electrolyte and a hetero ionic complex additive.

  20. Synthesis of hetero ionic compounds using dialkylcarbonate quaternization

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Friesen, Cody A.; Wolfe, Derek; Johnson, Paul Bryan

    2018-04-03

    Methods of preparing hetero ionic complexes, and ionic liquids from bisulfate salts of heteroatomic compounds using dialkylcarbonates as a primary quaternizing reactant are disclosed. Also disclosed are methods of making electrochemical cells comprising the ionic liquids, and an electrochemical cell comprising an alkaline electrolyte and a hetero ionic complex additive.

  1. A self-forming composite electrolyte for solid-state sodium battery with ultra-long cycle life

    DOE PAGES

    Zhang, Zhizhen; Yang, Xiao -Qing; Zhang, Qinghua; ...

    2016-10-31

    Replacing organic liquid electrolyte with inorganic solid electrolytes (SE) can potentially address the inherent safety problems in conventional rechargeable batteries. Furthermore, all-solid-state batteries have been plagues by the relatively low ionic conductivity of solid electrolytes and large charge-transfer resistance resulted from solid-solid interfaces between electrode materials and solid electrolytes. Here we report a new design strategy for improving the ionic conductivity of solid electrolyte by self-forming a composite material. An optimized Na + ion conducting composite electrolyte derived from the NASICON structure was successfully synthesized, yielding ultra-high ionic conductivity of 3.4 mS cm –1 at 25°C and 14 ms cmmore » –1 at 80°C.« less

  2. Preliminary Evaluations of Polymer-based Lithium Battery Electrolytes Under Development for the Polymer Electrolyte Rechargeable Systems Program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Manzo, Michelle A.; Bennett, William R.

    2003-01-01

    A component screening facility has been established at The NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) to evaluate candidate materials for next generation, lithium-based, polymer electrolyte batteries for aerospace applications. Procedures have been implemented to provide standardized measurements of critical electrolyte properties. These include ionic conductivity, electronic resistivity, electrochemical stability window, cation transference number, salt diffusion coefficient and lithium plating efficiency. Preliminary results for poly(ethy1ene oxide)-based polymer electrolyte and commercial liquid electrolyte are presented.

  3. Driving mechanisms of ionic polymer actuators having electric double layer capacitor structures.

    PubMed

    Imaizumi, Satoru; Kato, Yuichi; Kokubo, Hisashi; Watanabe, Masayoshi

    2012-04-26

    Two solid polymer electrolytes, composed of a polyether-segmented polyurethaneurea (PEUU) and either a lithium salt (lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide: Li[NTf2]) or a nonvolatile ionic liquid (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide: [C2mim][NTf2]), were prepared in order to utilize them as ionic polymer actuators. These salts were preferentially dissolved in the polyether phases. The ionic transport mechanism of the polyethers was discussed in terms of the diffusion coefficients and ionic transference numbers of the incorporated ions, which were estimated by means of pulsed-field gradient spin-echo (PGSE) NMR. There was a distinct difference in the ionic transport properties of each polymer electrolyte owing to the difference in the magnitude of interactions between the cations and the polyether. The anionic diffusion coefficient was much faster than that of the cation in the polyether/Li[NTf2] electrolyte, whereas the cation diffused faster than the anion in the polyether/[C2mim][NTf2] electrolyte. Ionic polymer actuators, which have a solid-state electric-double-layer-capacitor (EDLC) structure, were prepared using these polymer electrolyte membranes and ubiquitous carbon materials such as activated carbon and acetylene black. On the basis of the difference in the motional direction of each actuator against applied voltages, a simple model of the actuation mechanisms was proposed by taking the difference in ionic transport properties into consideration. This model discriminated the behavior of the actuators in terms of the products of transference numbers and ionic volumes. The experimentally observed behavior of the actuators was successfully explained by this model.

  4. Artificial Solid Electrolyte Interphase to Address the Electrochemical Degradation of Silicon Electrodes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dudney, Nancy J; Nanda, Jagjit; Liang, Chengdu

    2014-01-01

    Electrochemical degradation on Si anodes prevents them from being successfully used in lithium-ion full cells. Unlike the case of graphite anodes, natural solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) films generated from carbonate electrolyte do not self-passivate on Si and causes continuous electrolyte decomposition. In this work we aim at solving the issue of electrochemical degradation by fabricating artificial SEI films using a solid electrolyte material, lithium phosphor oxynitride (Lipon), that conducts Li ions and blocks electrons. For Si anodes coated with Lipon of 50 nm or thicker, significant effect is observed in suppressing the electrolyte decomposition, while Lipon of thinner than 40more » nm has little effect. Ionic and electronic conductivity measurement reveals that the artificial SEI is effective when it is a pure ionic conductor, and the electrolyte decomposition is not suppressed when the artificial SEI is a mixed electronic-ionic conductor. The critical thickness for this transition in conducting behavior is found to be 40~50 nm. This work provides guidance for designing artificial SEI for high capacity lithium-ion battery electrodes using solid electrolyte materials.« less

  5. Integrated study of first principles calculations and experimental measurements for Li-ionic conductivity in Al-doped solid-state LiGe2(PO4)3 electrolyte

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kang, Joonhee; Chung, Habin; Doh, Chilhoon; Kang, Byoungwoo; Han, Byungchan

    2015-10-01

    Understanding of the fundamental mechanisms causing significant enhancement of Li-ionic conductivity by Al3+ doping to a solid LiGe2(PO4)3 (LGP) electrolyte is pursued using first principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations combined with experimental measurements. Our results indicate that partial substitution Al3+ for Ge4+ in LiGe2(PO4)3 (LGP) with aliovalent (Li1+xAlxGe2-x(PO4)3, LAGP) improves the Li-ionic conductivity about four-orders of the magnitude. To unveil the atomic origin we calculate plausible diffusion paths of Li in LGP and LAGP materials using DFT calculations and a nudged elastic band method, and discover that LAGP had additional transport paths for Li with activation barriers as low as only 34% of the LGP. Notably, these new atomic channels manifest subtle electrostatic environments facilitating cooperative motions of at least two Li atoms. Ab-initio molecular dynamics predict Li-ionic conductivity for the LAGP system, which is amazingly agreed experimental measurement on in-house made samples. Consequently, we suggest that the excess amounts of Li caused by the aliovalent Al3+ doping to LGP lead to not only enhancing Li concentration but also opening new conducting paths with substantially decreases activation energies and thus high ionic conductivity of LAGP solid-state electrolyte.

  6. New Insights into the Compositional Dependence of Li-Ion Transport in Polymer-Ceramic Composite Electrolytes.

    PubMed

    Zheng, Jin; Hu, Yan-Yan

    2018-01-31

    Composite electrolytes are widely studied for their potential in realizing improved ionic conductivity and electrochemical stability. Understanding the complex mechanisms of ion transport within composites is critical for effectively designing high-performance solid electrolytes. This study examines the compositional dependence of the three determining factors for ionic conductivity, including ion mobility, ion transport pathways, and active ion concentration. The results show that with increase in the fraction of ceramic Li 7 La 3 Zr 2 O 12 (LLZO) phase in the LLZO-poly(ethylene oxide) composites, ion mobility decreases, ion transport pathways transit from polymer to ceramic routes, and the active ion concentration increases. These changes in ion mobility, transport pathways, and concentration collectively explain the observed trend of ionic conductivity in composite electrolytes. Liquid additives alter ion transport pathways and increase ion mobility, thus enhancing ionic conductivity significantly. It is also found that a higher content of LLZO leads to improved electrochemical stability of composite electrolytes. This study provides insight into the recurring observations of compositional dependence of ionic conductivity in current composite electrolytes and pinpoints the intrinsic limitations of composite electrolytes in achieving fast ion conduction.

  7. Rapid Dye Regeneration Mechanism of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells.

    PubMed

    Jeon, Jiwon; Park, Young Choon; Han, Sang Soo; Goddard, William A; Lee, Yoon Sup; Kim, Hyungjun

    2014-12-18

    During the light-harvesting process of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), the hole localized on the dye after the charge separation yields an oxidized dye, D(+). The fast regeneration of D(+) using the redox pair (typically the I(-)/I3(-) couple) is critical for the efficient DSSCs. However, the kinetic processes of dye regeneration remain uncertain, still promoting vigorous debates. Here, we use molecular dynamics simulations to determine that the inner-sphere electron-transfer pathway provides a rapid dye regeneration route of ∼4 ps, where penetration of I(-) next to D(+) enables an immediate electron transfer, forming a kinetic barrier. This explains the recently reported ultrafast dye regeneration rate of a few picoseconds determined experimentally. We expect that our MD based comprehensive understanding of the dye regeneration mechanism will provide a helpful guideline in designing TiO2-dye-electrolyte interfacial systems for better performing DSSCs.

  8. Dye-sensitized solar cells using ionic liquids as redox mediator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Denizalti, Serpil; Ali, Abdulrahman Khalaf; Ela, Çağatay; Ekmekci, Mesut; Erten-Ela, Sule

    2018-01-01

    In this research, the influence of ionic liquid on the conversion efficiency, incident photons to converted electrons (IPCE) and performance of fabricated solar cell was investigated using various ionic liquids. Ionic liquids with different substituents and ions were prepared and used as redox mediators in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Ionic liquids were characterized 1H and 13C NMR spectra. We practically investigated the performance of ionic liquid salts were used as the mobile ions and found that the efficiencies of DSSCs were increased up to 40% comparing commercial electrolyte system. The ionic liquid compounds were incorporated in DSSCs to obtain an efficient charge transfer, solving the corrosion problem of platinum layer in counter electrode compared to commercial electrolyte.

  9. Complex hydrides as room-temperature solid electrolytes for rechargeable batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de Jongh, P. E.; Blanchard, D.; Matsuo, M.; Udovic, T. J.; Orimo, S.

    2016-03-01

    A central goal in current battery research is to increase the safety and energy density of Li-ion batteries. Electrolytes nowadays typically consist of lithium salts dissolved in organic solvents. Solid electrolytes could facilitate safer batteries with higher capacities, as they are compatible with Li-metal anodes, prevent Li dendrite formation, and eliminate risks associated with flammable organic solvents. Less than 10 years ago, LiBH4 was proposed as a solid-state electrolyte. It showed a high ionic conductivity, but only at elevated temperatures. Since then a range of other complex metal hydrides has been reported to show similar characteristics. Strategies have been developed to extend the high ionic conductivity of LiBH4 down to room temperature by partial anion substitution or nanoconfinement. The present paper reviews the recent developments in complex metal hydrides as solid electrolytes, discussing in detail LiBH4, strategies towards for fast room-temperature ionic conductors, alternative compounds, and first explorations of implementation of these electrolytes in all-solid-state batteries.

  10. Optimization of ionic conductivity in doped ceria

    PubMed Central

    Andersson, David A.; Simak, Sergei I.; Skorodumova, Natalia V.; Abrikosov, Igor A.; Johansson, Börje

    2006-01-01

    Oxides with the cubic fluorite structure, e.g., ceria (CeO2), are known to be good solid electrolytes when they are doped with cations of lower valence than the host cations. The high ionic conductivity of doped ceria makes it an attractive electrolyte for solid oxide fuel cells, whose prospects as an environmentally friendly power source are very promising. In these electrolytes, the current is carried by oxygen ions that are transported by oxygen vacancies, present to compensate for the lower charge of the dopant cations. Ionic conductivity in ceria is closely related to oxygen-vacancy formation and migration properties. A clear physical picture of the connection between the choice of a dopant and the improvement of ionic conductivity in ceria is still lacking. Here we present a quantum-mechanical first-principles study of the influence of different trivalent impurities on these properties. Our results reveal a remarkable correspondence between vacancy properties at the atomic level and the macroscopic ionic conductivity. The key parameters comprise migration barriers for bulk diffusion and vacancy–dopant interactions, represented by association (binding) energies of vacancy–dopant clusters. The interactions can be divided into repulsive elastic and attractive electronic parts. In the optimal electrolyte, these parts should balance. This finding offers a simple and clear way to narrow the search for superior dopants and combinations of dopants. The ideal dopant should have an effective atomic number between 61 (Pm) and 62 (Sm), and we elaborate that combinations of Nd/Sm and Pr/Gd show enhanced ionic conductivity, as compared with that for each element separately. PMID:16478802

  11. Optimization of ionic conductivity in doped ceria.

    PubMed

    Andersson, David A; Simak, Sergei I; Skorodumova, Natalia V; Abrikosov, Igor A; Johansson, Börje

    2006-03-07

    Oxides with the cubic fluorite structure, e.g., ceria (CeO2), are known to be good solid electrolytes when they are doped with cations of lower valence than the host cations. The high ionic conductivity of doped ceria makes it an attractive electrolyte for solid oxide fuel cells, whose prospects as an environmentally friendly power source are very promising. In these electrolytes, the current is carried by oxygen ions that are transported by oxygen vacancies, present to compensate for the lower charge of the dopant cations. Ionic conductivity in ceria is closely related to oxygen-vacancy formation and migration properties. A clear physical picture of the connection between the choice of a dopant and the improvement of ionic conductivity in ceria is still lacking. Here we present a quantum-mechanical first-principles study of the influence of different trivalent impurities on these properties. Our results reveal a remarkable correspondence between vacancy properties at the atomic level and the macroscopic ionic conductivity. The key parameters comprise migration barriers for bulk diffusion and vacancy-dopant interactions, represented by association (binding) energies of vacancy-dopant clusters. The interactions can be divided into repulsive elastic and attractive electronic parts. In the optimal electrolyte, these parts should balance. This finding offers a simple and clear way to narrow the search for superior dopants and combinations of dopants. The ideal dopant should have an effective atomic number between 61 (Pm) and 62 (Sm), and we elaborate that combinations of Nd/Sm and Pr/Gd show enhanced ionic conductivity, as compared with that for each element separately.

  12. Development of a novel regenerated cellulose composite material.

    PubMed

    De Silva, Rasike; Vongsanga, Kylie; Wang, Xungai; Byrne, Nolene

    2015-05-05

    We report for the first time on a new natural composite material achieved by blending cotton and duck feather using an ionic liquid. The addition of duck feather was found to improve the elasticity, strain at break, by 50% when compared to regenerated cellulose alone. This is a significant finding since regenerated cotton using ionic liquids often suffers from poor elasticity. The improved elasticity is likely due to the regenerated duck feather maintaining its helical structure. The new regenerated cellulose composites were characterized using a combination of dynamic mechanical analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, contact angle measurements and scanning electron microscopy. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  13. Zn2+ and Sr2+ Adsorption at the TiO2 (110)-Electrolyte Interface: Influence of Ionic Strength, Coverage, and Anions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhang,Z.; Fenter, P.; Cheng, L.

    2006-01-01

    The X-ray standing wave technique was used to probe the sensitivity of Zn{sup 2+} and Sr{sup 2+} ion adsorption to changes in both the adsorbed ion coverage and the background electrolyte species and concentrations at the rutile ({alpha}-TiO{sub 2}) (110)-aqueous interface. Measurements were made with various background electrolytes (NaCl, NaTr, RbCl, NaBr) at concentrations as high as 1 m. The results demonstrate that Zn{sub 2+} and Sr{sub 2+} reside primarily in the condensed layer and that the ion heights above the Ti-O surface plane are insensitive to ionic strength and the choice of background electrolyte (with <0.1 Angstroms changes overmore » the full compositional range). The lack of any specific anion coadsorption upon probing with Br{sup -}, coupled with the insensitivity of Zn{sup 2+} and Sr{sup 2+} cation heights to changes in the background electrolyte, implies that anions do not play a significant role in the adsorption of these divalent metal ions to the rutile (110) surface. Absolute ion coverage measurements for Zn{sup 2+} and Sr{sup 2+} show a maximum Stern-layer coverage of {approx}0.5 monolayer, with no significant variation in height as a function of Stern-layer coverage. These observations are discussed in the context of Gouy-Chapman-Stern models of the electrical double layer developed from macroscopic sorption and pH-titration studies of rutile powder suspensions. Direct comparison between these experimental observations and the MUltiSIte Complexation (MUSIC) model predictions of cation surface coverage as a function of ionic strength revealed good agreement between measured and predicted surface coverages with no adjustable parameters.« less

  14. Thermally-responsive, nonflammable phosphonium ionic liquid electrolytes for lithium metal batteries: operating at 100 degrees celsius† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Detailed ionic liquids synthesis, characterization, conductivity, cyclic voltammetry, battery cycling and those of other compositions; SEM images; energy density calculation. See DOI: 10.1039/c5sc01518a Click here for additional data file.

    PubMed Central

    Lin, X.; Kavian, R.; Lu, Y.; Hu, Q.; Shao-Horn, Y.

    2015-01-01

    Rechargeable batteries such as Li ion/Li metal batteries are widely used in the electronics market but the chemical instability of the electrolyte limits their use in more demanding environmental conditions such as in automotive, oil exploration, or mining applications. In this study, a series of alkyl phosphonium ionic liquid electrolyte are described with high thermal stability and solubility for LiTFSI. A lithium metal battery (LMB) containing a tailored phosphonium ionic liquid/LiTFSI electrolyte operates at 100 °C with good specific capacities and cycling stability. Substantial capacity is maintained during 70 cycles or 30 days. Instant on-off battery operation is realized via the significant temperature dependence of the electrolyte material, demonstrating the robustness and potential for use at high temperature. PMID:28757963

  15. Interaction between carbon dioxide and ionic liquids: Novel electrolyte candidates for safer Li-ion batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Locati, Corrado; Lafont, Ugo; Peters, Cor J.; Kelder, Erik M.

    Ionic liquids (ILs) are typically molten salts at temperatures lower than 100 °C. Because of their thermal and electrochemical properties, they are good candidates to replace the state-of-the-art electrolytes used in today's Li-ion batteries. These commercial batteries often suffer from hazards caused by possible misuse. Elevated voltages and high temperatures usually lead to electrolyte degradation due to parasitic reactions with the electrodes leading to gas (mainly CO 2) evolution and may then eventually catch fire. Also, ILs are able to dissolve various gas molecules, making it possible to prevent a built-up of an overpressure inside the battery in case of undesired gas evolution. In this work, CO 2 storage in two different ionic liquids, i.e. PYR 14TFSI and [BMIm][BF4] is studied with regard to their respective Li-salt. Mixtures of ILs plus different concentrations of CO 2 were made. Phase diagrams of the pressure vs. temperature of the systems "liquid + vapour" to liquid transitions are drawn. Data points from 1.5 bar to 70 bar are collected with a Cailletet apparatus. Both of the ILs show good CO 2 dissolution ability; an increase of the temperature leads to an increase of the pressure needed to dissolve similar amounts of CO 2. The presence of a Li-salt hampers gas storage, particularly for PYR 14TFSI. A model based on the Langmuir adsorption theory is used to describe the solubility of the CO 2 in [BMIm][BF4]. The PYR 14TFSI IL does not obey the Langmuir-like solubility behaviour. Hence, the solubility then is described by the formation of discrete bonds between the CO 2 and the solvent, similarly to the concept of adspecies and surface sites.

  16. Assessing Electrolyte Transport Properties with Molecular Dynamics

    DOE PAGES

    Jones, R. E.; Ward, D. K.; Gittleson, F. S.; ...

    2017-04-15

    Here in this work we use estimates of ionic transport properties obtained from molecular dynamics to rank lithium electrolytes of different compositions. We develop linear response methods to obtain the Onsager diffusivity matrix for all chemical species, its Fickian counterpart, and the mobilities of the ionic species. We apply these methods to the well-studied propylene carbonate/ethylene carbonate solvent with dissolved LiBF 4 and O 2. The results show that, over a range of lithium concentrations and carbonate mixtures, trends in the transport coefficients can be identified and optimal electrolytes can be selected for experimental focus; however, refinement of these estimationmore » techniques is necessary for a reliable ranking of a large set of electrolytes.« less

  17. Annealing Would Improve beta" - Alumina Solid Electrolyte

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Williams, Roger; Homer, Margie; Ryan, Margaret; Cortez, Roger; Shields, Virgil; Kisor, Adam

    2003-01-01

    A pre-operational annealing process is under investigation as a potential means of preventing a sudden reduction of ionic conductivity in a Beta"-alumina solid electrolyte (BASE) during use. On the basis of tests, the sudden reduction of ionic conductivity, followed by a slow recovery, has been found to occur during testing of the solid electrolyte and electrode components of an alkali metal thermal-to-electric converter (AMTEC) cell. At this time, high-temperature tests of limited duration have indicated the superiority of the treated BASE, but reproducible tests over thousands of hours are necessary to confirm that microcracking has been eliminated. The ionic conductivity of the treated BASE is also measured to be higher than untreated BASE at 1,073 K in low-pressure sodium vapor. Microcracking resulting in loss of conductivity was not observed with treated BASE in one high-temperature experiment, but this result must be duplicated over very long testing times to be sure of the effect. Shorter annealing times (10 to 20 hours) were found to result in significantly less loss of mass; it may be necessary for the packed powder mixture to evolve some Na2O before the Na2O can leave the ceramic.

  18. Synthesis and Compatibility of Ionic Liquid Containing Rod-Coil Polyimide Gel Electrolytes with Lithium Metal Electrodes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tigelaar, Dean M.; Palker, Allyson E.; Meador, Mary Ann B.; Bennett, William R.

    2008-01-01

    A highly cross-linked polyimide-polyethylene oxide copolymer has been synthesized that is capable of holding large volumes of liquid component, simultaneously maintaining good dimensional stability. An amine end capped oligomer was made that was imidized in solution, followed by reaction with a triisocyanate in the presence of desired additives at ambient temperature. Polymer films are able to hold over 4 times their weight in room temperature ionic liquid RTIL or carbonate solvent. Electrolytes were studied that contained varying amounts of RTIL, lithium trifluoromethanesulfonimide LiTFSi, and alumina nanoparticles. Electrochemical stability of these electrolytes with lithium metal electrodes was studied by galvanic cycling and impedance spectroscopy. Improved cycling stability and decreased interfacial resistance were observed when increasing amounts of RTIL and LiTFSi were added. The addition of small amounts of alumina further decreased interfacial resistance by nearly an order of magnitude. During the course of the study, cycling stability increased from less than 3 to greater than 1000 h at 60 C and 0.25 mA/cm2 current density.

  19. Thermally responsive polymer electrolytes for inherently safe electrochemical energy storage

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kelly, Jesse C.

    -off" ratio in electrochemical activity at elevated temperatures. Overall, solution pH and conductivity were altered by an order of magnitude and device performance (ability to store charge) decreased by over 70%. After demonstration of a model responsive electrolyte in an aqueous system, ionic liquid (IL) based electrolytes were developed as a means of controlling the electrochemical performance in the non-aqueous environments that batteries, specifically Li-ion, require. Here, two systems were developed: (1) an electrolyte comprising poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), the IL, [EMIM][BF4], and a lithium salt and (2) an electrolyte comprising poly(benzyl methacrylate) (PBzMA), the IL, [EMIM][TFSI], and a lithium salt. In each system, the polymer-IL phase separation inhibited device operation at elevated temperatures. For the PEO/IL electrolyte, the thermally induced liquid-liquid phase separation was shown to decrease the ionic conductivity, thereby affecting the concentration of ions at the electrode. Additionally, an increasing charge transfer resistance associated with the phase separated polymer coating the porous electrode was shown to limit electrochemical activity significantly. For the PBzMA/IL electrolyte, the solid-liquid phase separation did not show a change in conductivity, but did cause a drastic increase in charge transfer resistance, effectively shutting off Li-ion battery operation at high temperatures. Such responsive mixtures provide a transformative approach to regulating electrochemical processes, which is necessary to achieve inherently safe operation in large format energy storage with EDLCs, supercapacitors and Li-ion batteries.

  20. Stable dye-sensitized solar cells based on a gel electrolyte with ethyl cellulose as the gelator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vasei, Maryam; Tajabadi, Fariba; Jabbari, Ali; Taghavinia, Nima

    2015-09-01

    A simple gelating process is developed for the conventional acetonitrile-based electrolyte of dye solar cells, based on ethyl cellulose as the gelator. The electrolyte becomes quasi-solid-state upon addition of an ethanolic solution of ethyl cellulose to the conventional acetonitrile-based liquid electrolyte. The photovoltaic conversion efficiency with the new gel electrolyte is only slightly lower than with the liquid electrolyte, e.g., 6.5 % for liquid electrolyte versus 5.9 % for gel electrolyte with 5.8 wt% added ethyl cellulose. Electrolyte gelation has small effect on the ionic diffusion coefficient of iodide, and the devices are remarkably stable for at least 550 h under irradiation at 55 °C.

  1. Microwave Crystallization of Lithium Aluminum Germanium Phosphate Solid-State Electrolyte.

    PubMed

    Mahmoud, Morsi M; Cui, Yuantao; Rohde, Magnus; Ziebert, Carlos; Link, Guido; Seifert, Hans Juergen

    2016-06-23

    Lithium aluminum germanium phosphate (LAGP) glass-ceramics are considered as promising solid-state electrolytes for Li-ion batteries. LAGP glass was prepared via the regular conventional melt-quenching method. Thermal, chemical analyses and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were performed to characterize the prepared glass. The crystallization of the prepared LAGP glass was done using conventional heating and high frequency microwave (MW) processing. Thirty GHz microwave (MW) processing setup were used to convert the prepared LAGP glass into glass-ceramics and compared with the conventionally crystallized LAGP glass-ceramics that were heat-treated in an electric conventional furnace. The ionic conductivities of the LAGP samples obtained from the two different routes were measured using impedance spectroscopy. These samples were also characterized using XRD and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Microwave processing was successfully used to crystallize LAGP glass into glass-ceramic without the aid of susceptors. The MW treated sample showed higher total, grains and grain boundary ionic conductivities values, lower activation energy and relatively larger-grained microstructure with less porosity compared to the corresponding conventionally treated sample at the same optimized heat-treatment conditions. The enhanced total, grains and grain boundary ionic conductivities values along with the reduced activation energy that were observed in the MW treated sample was considered as an experimental evidence for the existence of the microwave effect in LAGP crystallization process. MW processing is a promising candidate technology for the production of solid-state electrolytes for Li-ion battery.

  2. Artificial solid electrolyte interphase to address the electrochemical degradation of silicon electrodes.

    PubMed

    Li, Juchuan; Dudney, Nancy J; Nanda, Jagjit; Liang, Chengdu

    2014-07-09

    Electrochemical degradation on silicon (Si) anodes prevents them from being successfully used in lithium (Li)-ion battery full cells. Unlike the case of graphite anodes, the natural solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) films generated from carbonate electrolytes do not self-passivate on Si, causing continuous electrolyte decomposition and loss of Li ions. In this work, we aim at solving the issue of electrochemical degradation by fabricating artificial SEI films using a solid electrolyte material, lithium phosphorus oxynitride (Lipon), which conducts Li ions and blocks electrons. For Si anodes coated with Lipon of 50 nm or thicker, a significant effect is observed in suppressing electrolyte decomposition, while Lipon of thinner than 40 nm has a limited effect. Ionic and electronic conductivity measurements reveal that the artificial SEI is effective when it is a pure ionic conductor, but electrolyte decomposition is only partially suppressed when the artificial SEI is a mixed electronic-ionic conductor. The critical thickness for this transition in conducting behavior is found to be 40-50 nm. This work provides guidance for designing artificial SEI films for high-capacity Li-ion battery electrodes using solid electrolyte materials.

  3. Ionic Liquids as a Medium for Ionic Chain Polymerizations: An Environmentally Responsible Approach to Macromolecular Synthesis with Controlled Architecture

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2004-09-16

    published in non peer-reviewed journals: 1. Gross, SM, Hamilton JL. "Polymer Gels for Use in Lithium Polymer Batteries", Nebraska Academy of Science...a process for the anionic polymerization of styrene and methyl methacrylate in the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ...Current polymer electrolyte composites used for these applications typically comprise polyethers with ethylene carbonate solvents containing lithium

  4. CO2-Binding-Organic-Liquids-Enhanced CO2 Capture using Polarity-Swing-Assisted Regeneration

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhang, Jian; Kutnyakov, Igor; Koech, Phillip K.

    A new solvent-based CO2 capture process couples the unique attributes of non-aqueous, CO2-binding organic liquids (CO2BOLs) with the newly discovered polarity-swing-assisted regeneration (PSAR) process that is unique to switchable ionic liquids. Laboratory measurements with PSAR indicate the ability to achieve a regeneration effect at 75°C comparable to that at 120°C using thermal regeneration only. Initial measurements also indicate that the kinetic behavior of CO2 release is also improved with PSAR. Abstract cleared PNWD-SA-9743

  5. Ionic imbalance induced self-propulsion of liquid metals

    PubMed Central

    Zavabeti, Ali; Daeneke, Torben; Chrimes, Adam F.; O'Mullane, Anthony P.; Zhen Ou, Jian; Mitchell, Arnan; Khoshmanesh, Khashayar; Kalantar-zadeh, Kourosh

    2016-01-01

    Components with self-propelling abilities are important building blocks of small autonomous systems and the characteristics of liquid metals are capable of fulfilling self-propulsion criteria. To date, there has been no exploration regarding the effect of electrolyte ionic content surrounding a liquid metal for symmetry breaking that generates motion. Here we show the controlled actuation of liquid metal droplets using only the ionic properties of the aqueous electrolyte. We demonstrate that pH or ionic concentration gradients across a liquid metal droplet induce both deformation and surface Marangoni flow. We show that the Lippmann dominated deformation results in maximum velocity for the self-propulsion of liquid metal droplets and illustrate several key applications, which take advantage of such electrolyte-induced motion. With this finding, it is possible to conceive the propulsion of small entities that are constructed and controlled entirely with fluids, progressing towards more advanced soft systems. PMID:27488954

  6. Ionic imbalance induced self-propulsion of liquid metals.

    PubMed

    Zavabeti, Ali; Daeneke, Torben; Chrimes, Adam F; O'Mullane, Anthony P; Zhen Ou, Jian; Mitchell, Arnan; Khoshmanesh, Khashayar; Kalantar-Zadeh, Kourosh

    2016-08-04

    Components with self-propelling abilities are important building blocks of small autonomous systems and the characteristics of liquid metals are capable of fulfilling self-propulsion criteria. To date, there has been no exploration regarding the effect of electrolyte ionic content surrounding a liquid metal for symmetry breaking that generates motion. Here we show the controlled actuation of liquid metal droplets using only the ionic properties of the aqueous electrolyte. We demonstrate that pH or ionic concentration gradients across a liquid metal droplet induce both deformation and surface Marangoni flow. We show that the Lippmann dominated deformation results in maximum velocity for the self-propulsion of liquid metal droplets and illustrate several key applications, which take advantage of such electrolyte-induced motion. With this finding, it is possible to conceive the propulsion of small entities that are constructed and controlled entirely with fluids, progressing towards more advanced soft systems.

  7. Ionic imbalance induced self-propulsion of liquid metals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zavabeti, Ali; Daeneke, Torben; Chrimes, Adam F.; O'Mullane, Anthony P.; Zhen Ou, Jian; Mitchell, Arnan; Khoshmanesh, Khashayar; Kalantar-Zadeh, Kourosh

    2016-08-01

    Components with self-propelling abilities are important building blocks of small autonomous systems and the characteristics of liquid metals are capable of fulfilling self-propulsion criteria. To date, there has been no exploration regarding the effect of electrolyte ionic content surrounding a liquid metal for symmetry breaking that generates motion. Here we show the controlled actuation of liquid metal droplets using only the ionic properties of the aqueous electrolyte. We demonstrate that pH or ionic concentration gradients across a liquid metal droplet induce both deformation and surface Marangoni flow. We show that the Lippmann dominated deformation results in maximum velocity for the self-propulsion of liquid metal droplets and illustrate several key applications, which take advantage of such electrolyte-induced motion. With this finding, it is possible to conceive the propulsion of small entities that are constructed and controlled entirely with fluids, progressing towards more advanced soft systems.

  8. Dissolution and fractionation of nut shells in ionic liquids.

    PubMed

    Carneiro, Aristides P; Rodríguez, Oscar; Macedo, Eugénia A

    2017-03-01

    The aim of this work was to study the dissolution of raw peanut and chestnut shells in ionic liquids. Dissolution of raw biomass up to 7wt% was achieved under optimized operatory conditions. Quantification of polysaccharides dissolved through quantitative 13 Cq NMR revealed extractions of the cellulosic material to ionic liquids as high as 87%. Regeneration experiments using an antisolvent mixture allowed to recover the cellulosic material and the ionic liquid. The overall mass balance presented very low loss rates (<8%), recoveries of 75% and 95% of cellulosic material from peanut and chestnut shells, respectively, and the recovery of more than 95% of the ionic liquid in both cases. These results show the high potential of using nut shells and ionic liquids for biorefining purposes. Moreover, high recovery of ionic liquids favors the process from an economical point of view. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Solid State Ionics: from Michael Faraday to green energy-the European dimension.

    PubMed

    Funke, Klaus

    2013-08-01

    Solid State Ionics has its roots essentially in Europe. First foundations were laid by Michael Faraday who discovered the solid electrolytes Ag 2 S and PbF 2 and coined terms such as cation and anion , electrode and electrolyte . In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the main lines of development toward Solid State Ionics, pursued in Europe, concerned the linear laws of transport, structural analysis, disorder and entropy and the electrochemical storage and conversion of energy. Fundamental contributions were then made by Walther Nernst, who derived the Nernst equation and detected ionic conduction in heterovalently doped zirconia, which he utilized in his Nernst lamp. Another big step forward was the discovery of the extraordinary properties of alpha silver iodide in 1914. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, the concept of point defects was established by Yakov Il'ich Frenkel, Walter Schottky and Carl Wagner, including the development of point-defect thermodynamics by Schottky and Wagner. In terms of point defects, ionic (and electronic) transport in ionic crystals became easy to visualize. In an 'evolving scheme of materials science', point disorder precedes structural disorder, as displayed by the AgI-type solid electrolytes (and other ionic crystals), by ion-conducting glasses, polymer electrolytes and nano-composites. During the last few decades, much progress has been made in finding and investigating novel solid electrolytes and in using them for the preservation of our environment, in particular in advanced solid state battery systems, fuel cells and sensors. Since 1972, international conferences have been held in the field of Solid State Ionics, and the International Society for Solid State Ionics was founded at one of them, held at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, in 1987.

  10. Solid State Ionics: from Michael Faraday to green energy—the European dimension

    PubMed Central

    Funke, Klaus

    2013-01-01

    Solid State Ionics has its roots essentially in Europe. First foundations were laid by Michael Faraday who discovered the solid electrolytes Ag2S and PbF2 and coined terms such as cation and anion, electrode and electrolyte. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the main lines of development toward Solid State Ionics, pursued in Europe, concerned the linear laws of transport, structural analysis, disorder and entropy and the electrochemical storage and conversion of energy. Fundamental contributions were then made by Walther Nernst, who derived the Nernst equation and detected ionic conduction in heterovalently doped zirconia, which he utilized in his Nernst lamp. Another big step forward was the discovery of the extraordinary properties of alpha silver iodide in 1914. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, the concept of point defects was established by Yakov Il'ich Frenkel, Walter Schottky and Carl Wagner, including the development of point-defect thermodynamics by Schottky and Wagner. In terms of point defects, ionic (and electronic) transport in ionic crystals became easy to visualize. In an ‘evolving scheme of materials science’, point disorder precedes structural disorder, as displayed by the AgI-type solid electrolytes (and other ionic crystals), by ion-conducting glasses, polymer electrolytes and nano-composites. During the last few decades, much progress has been made in finding and investigating novel solid electrolytes and in using them for the preservation of our environment, in particular in advanced solid state battery systems, fuel cells and sensors. Since 1972, international conferences have been held in the field of Solid State Ionics, and the International Society for Solid State Ionics was founded at one of them, held at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, in 1987. PMID:27877585

  11. Ionic liquids as an electrolyte for the electro synthesis of organic compounds.

    PubMed

    Kathiresan, Murugavel; Velayutham, David

    2015-12-25

    The use of ionic liquids (ILs) as a solvent and an electrolyte for electro organic synthesis has been reviewed. To date several ILs exist, however the ILs based on tetraalkylammonium, pyrrolidinium, piperidinium and imidazolium cations with BF4(-), PF6(-), and TFSI anions have been widely used and explored the most. Electro organic synthesis in ionic liquid media leading to the synthesis of a wide range of organic compounds has been discussed. Anodic oxidation or cathodic reduction will generate radical cation or anion intermediates, respectively. These radicals can undergo self coupling or coupling with other molecules yielding organic compounds of interest. The cation of the IL is known to stabilize the radical anion extensively. This stabilization effect has a specific impact on the electrochemical CO2 reduction and coupling to various organics. The relative stability of the intermediates in IL leads to the formation of specific products in higher yields. Electrochemical reduction of imidazolium or thiazolium based ILs generates N-heterocyclic carbenes that have been shown to catalyze a wide range of base or nucleophile catalyzed organic reactions in IL media, an aspect that falls into the category of organocatalysis. Electrochemical fluorination or selective electrochemical fluorination is another fascinating area that delivers selectively fluorinated organic products in Et3N·nHF or Et4NF·nHF adducts (IL) via anodic oxidation. Oxidative polymerization in ILs has been explored the most; although morphological changes were observed compared to the conventional methods, polymers were obtained in good yields and in some cases ILs were used as dopants to improve the desired properties.

  12. Molecular Level Structure and Dynamics of Electrolytes Using 17O Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Murugesan, Vijayakumar; Han, Kee Sung; Hu, Jianzhi

    2017-03-19

    Electrolytes help harness the energy from electrochemical processes by serving as solvents and transport media for redox-active ions. Molecular-level interactions between ionic solutes and solvent molecules – commonly referred to as solvation phenomena – give rise to many functional properties of electrolytes such as ionic conductivity, viscosity, and stability. It is critical to understand the evolution of solvation phenomena as a function of competing counterions and solvent mixtures to predict and design the optimal electrolyte for a target application. Probing oxygen environments is of great interest as oxygens are located at strategic molecular sites in battery solvents and are directlymore » involved in inter- and intramolecular solvation interactions. NMR signals from 17O nuclei in battery electrolytes offer nondestructive bulk measurements of isotropic shielding, electric field gradient tensors, and transverse and longitudinal relaxation rates, which are excellent means for probing structure, bonding, and dynamics of both solute and solvent molecules. This article describes the use of 17O NMR spectroscopy in probing the solvation structures of various electrolyte systems ranging from transition metal ions in aqueous solution to lithium cations in organic solvent mixtures.« less

  13. Solid composite electrolytes for lithium batteries

    DOEpatents

    Kumar, Binod; Scanlon, Jr., Lawrence G.

    2000-01-01

    Solid composite electrolytes are provided for use in lithium batteries which exhibit moderate to high ionic conductivity at ambient temperatures and low activation energies. In one embodiment, a ceramic-ceramic composite electrolyte is provided containing lithium nitride and lithium phosphate. The ceramic-ceramic composite is also preferably annealed and exhibits an activation energy of about 0.1 eV.

  14. Ionic current devices-Recent progress in the merging of electronic, microfluidic, and biomimetic structures.

    PubMed

    Koo, Hyung-Jun; Velev, Orlin D

    2013-05-09

    We review the recent progress in the emerging area of devices and circuits operating on the basis of ionic currents. These devices operate at the intersection of electrochemistry, electronics, and microfluidics, and their potential applications are inspired by essential biological processes such as neural transmission. Ionic current rectification has been demonstrated in diode-like devices containing electrolyte solutions, hydrogel, or hydrated nanofilms. More complex functions have been realized in ionic current based transistors, solar cells, and switching memory devices. Microfluidic channels and networks-an intrinsic component of the ionic devices-could play the role of wires and circuits in conventional electronics.

  15. Charge ordering in ionic fluids mediate repulsive surface interactions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dasbiswas, Kinjal; Ludwig, Nicholas B.; Zhang, Hao; Talapin, Dmitri; Vaikuntanathan, Suri

    Recent experiments on ionic fluids, such as surface force measurements in organic ionic liquids and the observation of colloidal stability in inorganic molten salts, suggest the presence of long-ranged repulsive forces. These cannot be explained within the classical Debye-Hückel theory for dilute electrolytes. We argue that such repulsive interactions can arise from long-range (several nm) charge density oscillations induced by a surface that preferentially binds one of the ionic species in an ionic fluid. We present a continuum theory that accounts for such charge layering based on a frustrated Ising model that incorporates both long-range Coulombic and short-range steric interactions. The mean-field analytic treatment qualitatively matches results from molecular simulations. A careful analysis of the ionic correlation functions arising from such charge ordering may also explain the long electrostatic screening lengths observed in various ionic fluids and their non-monotonic dependence on the electrolyte concentration. We acknowledge the University of Chicago for support.

  16. Direct regeneration of recycled cathode material mixture from scrapped LiFePO4 batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Xuelei; Zhang, Jin; Song, Dawei; Song, Jishun; Zhang, Lianqi

    2017-03-01

    A new green recycling process (named as direct regeneration process) of cathode material mixture from scrapped LiFePO4 batteries is designed for the first time. Through this direct regeneration process, high purity cathode material mixture (LiFePO4 + acetylene black), anode material mixture (graphite + acetylene black) and other by-products (shell, Al foil, Cu foil and electrolyte solvent, etc.) are recycled from scrapped LiFePO4 batteries with high yield. Subsequently, recycled cathode material mixture without acid leaching is further directly regenerated with Li2CO3. Direct regeneration procedure of recycled cathode material mixture from 600 to 800 °C is investigated in detail. Cathode material mixture regenerated at 650 °C display excellent physical, chemical and electrochemical performances, which meet the reuse requirement for middle-end Li-ion batteries. The results indicate the green direct regeneration process with low-cost and high added-value is feasible.

  17. GaN light-emitting device based on ionic liquid electrolyte

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hirai, Tomoaki; Sakanoue, Tomo; Takenobu, Taishi

    2018-06-01

    Ionic liquids (ILs) are attractive materials for fabricating unique hybrid devices based on electronics and electrochemistry; thus, IL-gated transistors and organic light-emitting devices of light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs) are investigated for future low-voltage and high-performance devices. In LECs, voltage application induces the formation of electrochemically doped p–n homojunctions owing to ion rearrangements in composites of semiconductors and electrolytes, and achieves electron–hole recombination for light emission at the homojunctions. In this work, we applied this concept of IL-induced electrochemical doping to the fabrication of GaN-based light-emitting devices. We found that voltage application to the layered IL/GaN structure accumulated electrons on the GaN surface owing to ion rearrangements and improved the conductivity of GaN. The ion rearrangement also enabled holes to be injected by the strong electric field of electric double layers on hole injection contacts. This simultaneous injection of holes and electrons into GaN mediated by ions achieves light emission at a low voltage of around 3.4 V. The light emission from the simple IL/GaN structure indicates the usefulness of an electrochemical technique in generating light emission with great ease of fabrication.

  18. High Conductivity, High Strength Solid Electrolytes Formed by in Situ Encapsulation of Ionic Liquids in Nanofibrillar Methyl Cellulose Networks.

    PubMed

    Mantravadi, Ramya; Chinnam, Parameswara Rao; Dikin, Dmitriy A; Wunder, Stephanie L

    2016-06-01

    Strong, solid polymer electrolyte ion gels, with moduli in the MPa range, a capacitance of 2 μF/cm(2), and high ambient ionic conductivities (>1 × 10(-3) S/cm), all at room temperature, have been prepared from butyl-N-methyl pyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide (PYR14TFSI) and methyl cellulose (MC). These properties are particularly attractive for supercapacitor applications. The ion gels are prepared by codissolution of PYR14TFSI and MC in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), which after heating and subsequent cooling form a gel. Evaporation of DMF leave thin, flexible, self-standing ion gels with up to 97 wt % PYR14TFSI, which have the highest combined moduli and ionic conductivity of ion gels to date, with an excellent electrochemical stability window (5.6 V). These favorable properties are attributed to the immiscibility of PYR14TFSI in MC, which permits the ionic conductivity to be independent of the MC at low MC content, and the in situ formation of a volume spanning network of semicrystalline MC nanofibers, which have a high glass transition temperature (Tg = 190 °C) and remain crystalline until they degrade at 300 °C.

  19. Perpendicularly Aligned, Anion Conducting Nanochannels in Block Copolymer Electrolyte Films

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Arges, Christopher G.; Kambe, Yu; Suh, Hyo Seon

    Connecting structure and morphology to bulk transport properties, such as ionic conductivity, in nanostructured polymer electrolyte materials is a difficult proposition because of the challenge to precisely and accurately control order and the orientation of the ionic domains in such polymeric films. In this work, poly(styrene-block-2-vinylpyridine) (PSbP2VP) block copolymers were assembled perpendicularly to a substrate surface over large areas through chemical surface modification at the substrate and utilizing a versatile solvent vapor annealing (SVA) technique. After block copolymer assembly, a novel chemical vapor infiltration reaction (CVIR) technique selectively converted the 2-vinylpyridine block to 2-vinyl n-methylpyridinium (NMP+ X-) groups, which aremore » anion charge carriers. The prepared block copolymer electrolytes maintained their orientation and ordered nanostructure upon the selective introduction of ion moieties into the P2VP block and post ion-exchange to other counterion forms (X- = chloride, hydroxide, etc.). The prepared block copolymer electrolyte films demonstrated high chloride ion conductivities, 45 mS cm(-1) at 20 degrees C in deionized water, the highest chloride ion conductivity for anion conducting polymer electrolyte films. Additionally, straight-line lamellae of block copolymer electrolytes were realized using chemoepitaxy and density multiplication. The devised scheme allowed for precise and accurate control of orientation of ionic domains in nanostructured polymer electrolyte films and enables a platform for future studies that examines the relationship between polymer electrolyte structure and ion transport.« less

  20. Fuel cells with doped lanthanum gallate electrolyte

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Feng, Man; Goodenough, John B.; Huang, Keqin; Milliken, Christopher

    Single cells with doped lanthanum gallate electrolyte material were constructed and tested from 600 to 800°C. Both ceria and the electrolyte material were mixed with NiO powder respectively to form composite anodes. Doped lanthanum cobaltite was used exclusively as the cathode material. While high power density from the solid oxide fuel cells at 800°C was achieved. our results clearly indicate that anode overpotential is the dominant factor in the power loss of the cells. Better anode materials and anode processing methods need to be found to fully utilize the high ionic conductivity of the doped lanthanum galiate and achieve higher power density at 800°C from solid oxide fuel cells.

  1. Ionic liquids and ionic liquid acids with high temperature stability for fuel cell and other high temperature applications, method of making and cell employing same

    DOEpatents

    Angell, C Austen [Mesa, AZ; Xu, Wu [Broadview Heights, OH; Belieres, Jean-Philippe [Chandler, AZ; Yoshizawa, Masahiro [Tokyo, JP

    2011-01-11

    Disclosed are developments in high temperature fuel cells including ionic liquids with high temperature stability and the storage of inorganic acids as di-anion salts of low volatility. The formation of ionically conducting liquids of this type having conductivities of unprecedented magnitude for non-aqueous systems is described. The stability of the di-anion configuration is shown to play a role in the high performance of the non-corrosive proton-transfer ionic liquids as high temperature fuel cell electrolytes. Performance of simple H.sub.2(g) electrolyte/O.sub.2(g) fuel cells with the new electrolytes is described. Superior performance both at ambient temperature and temperatures up to and above 200.degree. C. are achieved. Both neutral proton transfer salts and the acid salts with HSO.sup.-.sub.4 anions, give good results, the bisulphate case being particularly good at low temperatures and very high temperatures. The performance of all electrolytes is improved by the addition of a small amount of involatile base of pK.sub.a value intermediate between those of the acid and base that make the bulk electrolyte. The preferred case is the imidazole-doped ethylammonium hydrogensulfate which yields behavior superior in all respects to that of the industry standard phosphoric acid electrolyte.

  2. 3-V Solid-State Flexible Supercapacitors with Ionic-Liquid-Based Polymer Gel Electrolyte for AC Line Filtering.

    PubMed

    Kang, Yu Jin; Yoo, Yongju; Kim, Woong

    2016-06-08

    State-of-the-art solid-state flexible supercapacitors with sufficiently fast response speed for AC line filtering application suffer from limited energy density. One of the main causes of the low energy density is the low cell voltage (1 V), which is limited by aqueous-solution-based gel electrolytes. In this work, we demonstrate for the first time a 3-V flexible supercapacitor for AC line filtering based on an ionic-liquid-based polymer gel electrolyte and carbon nanotube electrode material. The flexible supercapacitor exhibits an areal energy density that is more than 20 times higher than that of the previously demonstrated 1-V flexible supercapacitor (0.66 vs 0.03 μWh/cm(2)) while maintaining excellent capacitive behavior at 120 Hz. The supercapacitor shows a maximum areal power density of 1.5 W/cm(2) and a time constant of 1 ms. The improvement of the cell voltage while maintaining the fast-response capability greatly improves the potential of supercapacitors for high-frequency applications in wearable and/or portable electronics.

  3. Study of Stable Cathodes and Electrolytes for High Specific Density Lithium-Air Battery

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hernandez-Lugo, Dionne M.; Wu, James; Bennett, William; Ming, Yu; Zhu, Yu

    2015-01-01

    Future NASA missions require high specific energy battery technologies, greater than 400 Wh/kg. Current NASA missions are using "state-of-the-art" (SOA) Li-ion batteries (LIB), which consist of a metal oxide cathode, a graphite anode and an organic electrolyte. NASA Glenn Research Center is currently studying the physical and electrochemical properties of the anode-electrolyte interface for ionic liquid based Li-air batteries. The voltage-time profiles for Pyr13FSI and Pyr14TFSI ionic liquids electrolytes studies on symmetric cells show low over-potentials and no dendritic lithium morphology. Cyclic voltammetry measurements indicate that these ionic liquids have a wide electrochemical window. As a continuation of this work, sp2 carbon cathode and these low flammability electrolytes were paired and the physical and electrochemical properties were studied in a Li-air battery system under an oxygen environment.

  4. Room-Temperature Ionic Liquids for Electrochemical Capacitors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fireman, Heather; Yowell, Leonard; Moloney, Padraig G.; Arepalli, Sivaram; Nikolaev, P.; Huffman, C.; Ready, Jud; Higgins, C.D.; Turano, S. P.; Kohl, P.A.; hide

    2009-01-01

    A document discusses room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) used as electrolytes in carbon-nanotube-based, electrochemical, double-layer capacitors. Unlike the previous electrolyte (EtNB4 in acetonitrile), the RTIL used here does not produce cyanide upon thermal decomposition and does not have a moisture sensitivity.

  5. An experimental study on PEO polymer electrolyte based all-solid-state supercapacitor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yijing, Yin

    Supercapacitors are one of the most important electrochemical energy storage and conversion devices, however low ionic conductivity of solid state polymer electrolytes and the poor accessibility of the ions to the active sites in the porous electrode will cause low performance for all-solid-state supercapacitors and will limit their application. The objective of the dissertation is to improve the performance of all-solid-state supercapactor by improving electrolyte conductivity and solving accessibility problem of the ions to the active sites. The low ionic conductivity (10-8 S/cm) of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) limits its application as an electrolyte. Since PEO is a semicrystal polymer and the ion conduction take place mainly in the amorphous regions of the PEO/Lithium salt complex, improvements in the percentage of amorphous phase in PEO or increasing the charge carrier concentration and mobility could increase the ionic conductivity of PEO electrolyte. Hot pressing along with the additions of different lithium salts, inorganic fillers and plasticizers were applied to improve the ionic conductivity of PEO polymer electrolytes. Four electrode methods were used to evaluate the conductivity of PEO based polymer electrolytes. Results show that adding certain lithium salts, inorganic fillers, and plasticizers could improve the ionic conductivity of PEO electrolytes up 10-4 S/cm. Further hot pressing treatment could improve the ionic conductivity of PEO electrolytes up to 10-3 S/cm. The conductivity improvement after hot pressing treatment is elucidated as that the spherulite crystal phase is convert into the fringed micelle crystal phase or the amorphous phase of PEO electrolytes. PEO electrolytes were added into active carbon as a binder and an ion conductor, so as to provide electrodes with not only ion conduction, but also the accessibility of ion to the active sites of electrodes. The NaI/I 2 mediator was added to improve the conductivity of PEO electrolyte and

  6. Innovative polymer nanocomposite electrolytes: nanoscale manipulation of ion channels by functionalized graphenes.

    PubMed

    Choi, Bong Gill; Hong, Jinkee; Park, Young Chul; Jung, Doo Hwan; Hong, Won Hi; Hammond, Paula T; Park, Hoseok

    2011-06-28

    The chemistry and structure of ion channels within the polymer electrolytes are of prime importance for studying the transport properties of electrolytes as well as for developing high-performance electrochemical devices. Despite intensive efforts on the synthesis of polymer electrolytes, few studies have demonstrated enhanced target ion conduction while suppressing unfavorable ion or mass transport because the undesirable transport occurs through an identical pathway. Herein, we report an innovative, chemical strategy for the synthesis of polymer electrolytes whose ion-conducting channels are physically and chemically modulated by the ionic (not electronic) conductive, functionalized graphenes and for a fundamental understanding of ion and mass transport occurring in nanoscale ionic clusters. The functionalized graphenes controlled the state of water by means of nanoscale manipulation of the physical geometry and chemical functionality of ionic channels. Furthermore, the confinement of bound water within the reorganized nanochannels of composite membranes was confirmed by the enhanced proton conductivity at high temperature and the low activation energy for ionic conduction through a Grotthus-type mechanism. The selectively facilitated transport behavior of composite membranes such as high proton conductivity and low methanol crossover was attributed to the confined bound water, resulting in high-performance fuel cells.

  7. Recent Advances in Fast Ion Conducting Materials and Devices - Proceedings of the 2nd Asian Conference on Solid State Ionics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chowdari, B. V. R.; Liu, Qingguo; Chen, Liquan

    The Table of Contents for the book is as follows: * Preface * Invited Papers * Recent Trends in Solid State Ionics * Theoretical Aspects of Fast Ion Conduction in Solids * Chemical Bonding and Intercalation Processes in Framework Structures * Extra-Large Near-Electrode Regions and Diffusion Length on the Solid Electrolyte-Electrode Interface as Studied by Photo-EMF Method * Frequency Response of Glasses * XPS Studies on Ion Conducting Glasses * Characterization of New Ambient Temperature Lithium Polymer-Electrolyte * Recent Development of Polymer Electrolytes: Solid State Voltammetry in Polymer Electrolytes * Secondary Solid State Batteries: From Material Properties to Commercial Development * Silver Vanadium Oxide Bronze and its Applications for Electrochemical Devices * Study on β''-Alumina Solid Electrolyte and β Battery in SIC * Materials for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells * Processing for Super Superionic Ceramics * Hydrogen Production Using Oxide Ionic or Protonic Conductor * Ionically Conductive Sulfide-Based Lithium Glasses * Relation of Conductivity to Structure and Structural Relaxation in Ion-Conducting Glasses * The Mechanism of Ionic Conductivity in Glass * The Role of Synthesis and Structure in Solid State Ionics - Electrodes to Superconductors * Electrochromism in Spin-Coated Thin Films from Peroxo-Poly tungstate Solutions * Electrochemical Studies on High Tc Superconductors * Multivalence Fast Ionic Conductors - Montmorillonites * Contributed Papers * Volt-Ampere Characteristics and Interface Charge Transport in Solid Electrolytes * Internal Friction of Silver Chalcogenides * Thermal Expansion of Ionic and Superionic Solids * Improvement of PEO-LiCF3SO3 Complex Electrolytes Using Additives * Ionic Conductivity of Modified Poly (Methoxy Polyethylene Glycol Methacrylate) s-Lithium Salt Complexes * Solid Polymer Electrolytes of Crosslinked Polyethylene Glycol and Lithium Salts * Single Ionic Conductors Prepared by in Situ Polymerization of Methacrylic Acid

  8. Development and Characterization of Poly(1-vinylpyrrolidone-co-vinyl acetate) Copolymer Based Polymer Electrolytes

    PubMed Central

    Sa'adun, Nurul Nadiah; Subramaniam, Ramesh; Kasi, Ramesh

    2014-01-01

    Gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) are developed using poly(1-vinylpyrrolidone-co-vinyl acetate) [P(VP-co-VAc)] as the host polymer, lithium bis(trifluoromethane) sulfonimide [LiTFSI] as the lithium salt and ionic liquid, and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide [EMImTFSI] by using solution casting technique. The effect of ionic liquid on ionic conductivity is studied and the optimum ionic conductivity at room temperature is found to be 2.14 × 10−6 S cm−1 for sample containing 25 wt% of EMImTFSI. The temperature dependence of ionic conductivity from 303 K to 353 K exhibits Arrhenius plot behaviour. The thermal stability of the polymer electrolyte system is studied by using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) while the structural and morphological properties of the polymer electrolyte is studied by using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), respectively. PMID:25431781

  9. Novel applications of ionic liquids in materials processing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reddy, Ramana G.

    2009-05-01

    Ionic liquids are mixtures of organic and inorganic salts which are liquids at room temperature. Several potential applications of ionic liquids in the field of materials processing are electrowinning and electrodeposition of metals and alloys, electrolysis of active metals at low temperature, liquid-liquid extraction of metals. Results using 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride with AlCl3 at low temperatures yielded high purity aluminium deposits (>99.9% pure) and current efficiencies >98%. Titanium and aluminium were co-deposited with/without the addition of TiCl4 with up to 27 wt% Ti in the deposit with current efficiencies in the range of 78-85 %. Certain ionic liquids are potential replacements for thermal oils and molten salts as heat transfer fluids in solar energy applications due to high thermal stability, very low corrosivity and substantial sensible heat retentivity. The calculated storage densities for several chloride and fluoride ionic liquids are in the range of 160-210 MJ/m3. A 3-D mathematical model was developed to simulate the large scale electrowinning of aluminium. Since ionic liquids processing results in their low energy consumption, low pollutant emissions many more materials processing applications are expected in future.

  10. Sr- and Nb-co-doped Li7La3Zr2O12 solid electrolyte with Al2O3 addition towards high ionic conductivity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Changwei; Tang, Yu; Song, Jun; Han, Lei; Yu, Jingbo; Lu, Anxian

    2018-06-01

    In the present study, series of garnet-type Li6.75+ x La3- x Sr x Zr1.75Nb0.25O12 solid electrolytes [LLSZN with various Sr contents ( x = 0.05-0.25)] have been prepared via conventional solid-state method. The effects of Sr contents on their phase structure and ionic conductivity have been systematically investigated on the combined measurements of X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy and alter current impedance spectroscopy. Our results reveal that a phase transition from tetragonal to cubic structure occurs when both Sr and Nb elements is introduced, and such a cubic structure can be stable over the whole Sr contents variation, which is suggested to provide a beneficial impact on the performance of LLSZN. Accordingly, both relative density and total ionic conductivity exhibit a favorable tendency of increasing first and then decreasing with increased Sr contents, wherein a peak value at 93.46% and 5.09 × 10-4 S cm-1, respectively, can be well achieved. Particularly, the maximum ionic conductivity is almost twice that of the compared sample (2.93 × 10-4 S cm-1), and possess the minimum activation energy 0.30 eV. Such a modification method, featured with higher efficiency and lower cost, is expected to be helpful for the development of solid electrolyte.

  11. Nanostructure enhanced ionic transport in fullerene reinforced solid polymer electrolytes.

    PubMed

    Sun, Che-Nan; Zawodzinski, Thomas A; Tenhaeff, Wyatt E; Ren, Fei; Keum, Jong Kahk; Bi, Sheng; Li, Dawen; Ahn, Suk-Kyun; Hong, Kunlun; Rondinone, Adam J; Carrillo, Jan-Michael Y; Do, Changwoo; Sumpter, Bobby G; Chen, Jihua

    2015-03-28

    Solid polymer electrolytes, such as polyethylene oxide (PEO) based systems, have the potential to replace liquid electrolytes in secondary lithium batteries with flexible, safe, and mechanically robust designs. Previously reported PEO nanocomposite electrolytes routinely use metal oxide nanoparticles that are often 5-10 nm in diameter or larger. The mechanism of those oxide particle-based polymer nanocomposite electrolytes is under debate and the ion transport performance of these systems is still to be improved. Herein we report a 6-fold ion conductivity enhancement in PEO/lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide (LiTFSI)-based solid electrolytes upon the addition of fullerene derivatives. The observed conductivity improvement correlates with nanometer-scale fullerene crystallite formation, reduced crystallinities of both the (PEO)6:LiTFSI phase and pure PEO, as well as a significantly larger PEO free volume. This improved performance is further interpreted by enhanced decoupling between ion transport and polymer segmental motion, as well as optimized permittivity and conductivity in bulk and grain boundaries. This study suggests that nanoparticle induced morphological changes, in a system with fullerene nanoparticles and no Lewis acidic sites, play critical roles in their ion conductivity enhancement. The marriage of fullerene derivatives and solid polymer electrolytes opens up significant opportunities in designing next-generation solid polymer electrolytes with improved performance.

  12. Electrical and electrochemical studies on sodium ion-based gel polymer electrolytes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Isa, K. B. Md; Othman, L.; Hambali, D.; Osman, Z.

    2017-09-01

    Gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) have captured great attention because of their unique properties such as good mechanical stability, high flexibility and high conductivity approachable to that of the liquid electrolytes. In this work, we have prepared sodium ion conducting gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) films consisting of polyvinylidenefluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene (PVdF-HFP) as a polymer host using the solution casting technique. Sodium trifluoromethane- sulfonate (NaCF3SO3) was used as an ionic salt and the mixture of ethylene carbonate (EC) and propylene carbonate (PC) as a plasticizing solvent. Impedance spectroscopy measurements were carried out to determine the ionic conductivity of the GPE films. The sample containing 20 wt.% of NaCF3SO3 salt exhibits the highest room temperature ionic conductivity of 2.50 × 10-3 S cm-1. The conductivity of the GPE films was found to depend on the salt concentration that added to the films. The ionic and cationic transference numbers of GPE films were estimated by DC polarization and the combination of AC and DC polarization method, respectively. The results had shown that both ionic and cationic transference numbers are consistent with the conductivity studies. The electrochemical stability of the GPE films was tested using linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and the value of working voltage range appears to be high enough to be used as an electrolyte in sodium batteries. The cyclic voltammetry (CV) studies confirmed the sodium ion conduction in the GPE films.

  13. Ionic-liquid materials for the electrochemical challenges of the future.

    PubMed

    Armand, Michel; Endres, Frank; MacFarlane, Douglas R; Ohno, Hiroyuki; Scrosati, Bruno

    2009-08-01

    Ionic liquids are room-temperature molten salts, composed mostly of organic ions that may undergo almost unlimited structural variations. This review covers the newest aspects of ionic liquids in applications where their ion conductivity is exploited; as electrochemical solvents for metal/semiconductor electrodeposition, and as batteries and fuel cells where conventional media, organic solvents (in batteries) or water (in polymer-electrolyte-membrane fuel cells), fail. Biology and biomimetic processes in ionic liquids are also discussed. In these decidedly different materials, some enzymes show activity that is not exhibited in more traditional systems, creating huge potential for bioinspired catalysis and biofuel cells. Our goal in this review is to survey the recent key developments and issues within ionic-liquid research in these areas. As well as informing materials scientists, we hope to generate interest in the wider community and encourage others to make use of ionic liquids in tackling scientific challenges.

  14. Ionic-liquid materials for the electrochemical challenges of the future

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Armand, Michel; Endres, Frank; Macfarlane, Douglas R.; Ohno, Hiroyuki; Scrosati, Bruno

    2009-08-01

    Ionic liquids are room-temperature molten salts, composed mostly of organic ions that may undergo almost unlimited structural variations. This review covers the newest aspects of ionic liquids in applications where their ion conductivity is exploited; as electrochemical solvents for metal/semiconductor electrodeposition, and as batteries and fuel cells where conventional media, organic solvents (in batteries) or water (in polymer-electrolyte-membrane fuel cells), fail. Biology and biomimetic processes in ionic liquids are also discussed. In these decidedly different materials, some enzymes show activity that is not exhibited in more traditional systems, creating huge potential for bioinspired catalysis and biofuel cells. Our goal in this review is to survey the recent key developments and issues within ionic-liquid research in these areas. As well as informing materials scientists, we hope to generate interest in the wider community and encourage others to make use of ionic liquids in tackling scientific challenges.

  15. Effects of compatibility of polymer binders with solvate ionic liquid electrolytes on discharge and charge reactions of lithium-sulfur batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nakazawa, Toshitada; Ikoma, Ai; Kido, Ryosuke; Ueno, Kazuhide; Dokko, Kaoru; Watanabe, Masayoshi

    2016-03-01

    Electrochemical reactions in Li-S cells with a solvate ionic liquid (SIL) electrolyte composed of tetraglyme (G4) and Li[TFSA] (TFSA: bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide) are studied. The sulfur cathode (S cathode) comprises sulfur, carbon powder, and a polymer binder. Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA-x) with different degrees of saponification (x%) are used as binders to prepare the composite cathodes. For the Li-S cell containing PEO binder, lithium polysulfides (Li2Sm, 2 ≤ m ≤ 8), reaction intermediates of the S cathode, dissolve into the electrolyte, and Li2Sm acts as a redox shuttle in the Li-S cell. In contrast, in the Li-S cell with PVA-x binder, the dissolution of Li2Sm is suppressed, leading to high columbic efficiencies during charge-discharge cycles. The compatibility of the PVA-x binder with the SIL electrolyte changes depending on the degree of saponification. Decreasing the degree of saponification leads to increased electrolyte uptake by the PVA-x binder, increasing the charge and discharge capacities of Li-S cell. The rate capability of Li-S cell is also enhanced by the partial swelling of the PVA-x binder. The enhanced performance of Li-S cell containing PVA-x is attributed to the lowering of resistance of Li+ ion transport in the composite cathode.

  16. TiO2 as conductivity enhancer in PVdF-HFP polymer electrolyte system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bhattacharya, Shreya; Manojkumar Ubarhande, Radha; Usha Rani, M.; Shanker Babu, Ravi; Arunkumar, R.

    2017-11-01

    Composite polymer electrolytes were prepared by incorporating inorganic filler TiO2 into PVdF-HFP-PMMA-EC-LiClO4 system. The electrolyte films were prepared by solvent casting technique. The effect of inorganic filler on the conductivity of the blended polymer electrolyte was studied and it is found that there is a considerable increase in ionic conductivity 1.296 × 10-3 S/cm-1 on the addition of TiO2. X-ray diffraction (XRD) study elucidate the increase in amorphous nature of the polymer electrolyte. This tendency of the polymer electrolyte could be the reason behind the increase in ionic conductivity. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra show the occurrence of complexation and interaction among the components.

  17. Dynamic mechanism of equivalent conductivity minimum of electrolyte solution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yamaguchi, T.; Matsuoka, T.; Koda, S.

    2011-10-01

    The theory on electric conductivity of electrolyte solutions we have developed [T. Yamaguchi, T. Matsuoka, and S. Koda, J. Chem. Phys. 127, 064508 (2007)] is applied to a model electrolyte solution that shows a minimum of equivalent conductivity as the function of concentration [T. Yamaguchi, T. Akatsuka, and S. Koda, J. Chem. Phys. 134, 244506 (2011)]. The theory succeeds in reproducing the equivalent conductivity minimum, whereas the mode-coupling theory (MCT) underestimates the conductivity in the low-concentration regime. The theory can also reproduce the decrease in the relaxation time of conductivity with increasing the concentration we have demonstrated with a Brownian dynamics simulation. A detailed analysis shows that the relaxation of the conductivity occurs through two processes. The faster one corresponds to the collision between a cation and an anion, and the slower one does to the polarization of the ionic atmosphere. The increase in the equivalent conductivity with concentration is attributed to the decrease in the effect of the ionic atmosphere, which is in turn explained by the fact that the counter ion cannot penetrate into the repulsive core when the Debye screening length is compatible or smaller than the ionic diameter. The same mechanism is also observed in MCT calculation with static structure factor determined by mean-spherical approximation.

  18. Lithium-Air and ionic Liquids

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kellar, Michael

    2015-09-01

    The final portion of this project was accomplished at Sandia National Labs, Livermore, with the overall goal being to optimize lithium-air cells with an ionic liquid electrolyte. Both of these are potential future routes for lithium-ion technology. Lithiumair presents the advantage of higher gravimetric energy density, and ionic liquids present the advantage of greater hydrophobicity and much lower volatility, along with a larger window of electrochemical stability. Ionic liquids however have several drawbacks for the battery industry. Currently they are not as cost effective as many organic solvents. Additionally, because of the added viscosity of ionic interactions compared to themore » typical dipole interactions of a solvent, the ionic conductivity is lower than for common organic solvents.« less

  19. Novel polymer electrolytes based on cationic polyurethane with different alkyl chain length

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Libin; Wu, Xiwen; Li, Tianduo

    2014-03-01

    A series of comb-like cationic polyurethanes (PUs) were synthesized by quaternizing different bromoalkane (C2H5Br, C8H17Br, and C14H29Br) with polyurethane. Solid polymer electrolytes were prepared by complexes cationic PUs with different content of LiClO4. All the solid polymer electrolytes had sufficient thermal stability as confirmed by TGA and exhibited a single-phase behavior evidenced by DSC results. For these electrolytes, FT-IR spectra indicated the formation of polymer-ion complexes. The ac impedance spectra show that the conductivity of the electrolytes follow the Arrhenius behavior, and ionic conductivity is associated with both the charge migration of ions between coordination sites and transmission between aggregates, as confirmed by FT-IR and SEM. Alkyl quaternary ammonium salts in the polymer backbone are recognized as inherent plasticizers, which make the electrolytes exhibit liquid-like behavior. The plasticizing effect of PU-C8 and PU-C14 electrolytes are more effective than that of PU-C2 electrolyte. Maximum ionic conductivity at room temperature for PU-C8 electrolytes containing 50 wt% LiClO4 reached 1.1 × 10-4 S cm-1. This work provides a new research clue that alkyl quaternary ammonium salts could be used as inherent plasticizers and hence make the system behave like a liquid with high ionic conductivity, while preserving the dimensional stability of the solids.

  20. Ionic conductivity and relaxation studies in PVDF-HFP:PMMA-based gel polymer blend electrolyte with LiClO4 salt

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gohel, Khushbu; Kanchan, D. K.

    Poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)-based gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) comprising propylene carbonate and diethyl carbonate mixed plasticizer with variation of lithium perchlorate (LiClO4) salt concentrations have been prepared using a solvent casting technique. Structural characterization has been carried out using XRD wherein diffraction pattern reveals the amorphous nature of sample up to 7.5wt.% salt and complexation of polymers and salt have been studied by FTIR analysis. Surface morphology of the samples has been studied using scanning electron microscope. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in the temperature range 303-363K has been carried out for electrical conductivity. The maximum room temperature conductivity of 2.83×10-4S cm-1 has been observed for the GPE incorporating 7.5wt.% LiClO4. The temperature dependence of ionic conductivity obeys the Arrhenius relation. The increase in ionic conductivity with change in temperatures and salt content is observed. Transport number measurement is carried out by Wagner’s DC polarization method. Loss tangent (tan δ) and imaginary part of modulus (M‧‧) corresponding to dielectric relaxation and conductivity relaxation respectively show faster relaxation process with increasing salt content up to optimum value of 7.5wt.% LiClO4. The modulus (M‧‧) shows that the conductivity relaxation is of non-Debye type (broader than Debye peak).

  1. Effect of electrolytes on proteins physisorption on ordered mesoporous silica materials.

    PubMed

    Salis, Andrea; Medda, Luca; Cugia, Francesca; Monduzzi, Maura

    2016-01-01

    This short review highlights the effect of electrolytes on the performance of proteins-mesoporous silica conjugates which can open interesting perspectives in biotechnological fields, particularly nanomedicine and biocatalysis. Indeed therapeutic proteins and peptides represent a challenging innovation for several kinds of diseases, but since their self-life in biological fluids is very short, they need a stealth protective carrier. Similarly, enzymes need a solid support to improve thermal stability and to allow for recycling. Ordered mesoporous silica materials represent a valid choice as widely demonstrated. Both proteins and silica mesoporous materials possess charged surfaces, and here, the crucial role of pH, buffer, ionic strength and electrolyte type is posed in relation with loading/release of proteins onto/from the silica support through the analysis of adsorption and release processes. A delicate interplay of electrostatic and van der Waals interactions arises from considering electrolytes' effects on the two different charged surfaces. Clear outcomes concern the effect of pH and ionic strength. Protein loading onto the silica matrix is favored by an adsorbing solution having a pH close to the protein pI, and by a high ionic strength that reduces the Debye length. Release is instead favored by an adsorbing solution characterized by an intermediate ionic strength, close to the physiological values. Significant specific ions effects are shown to affect both proteins and silica matrices, as well as protein adsorption onto silica matrices. Further work is needed to quantify specific ion effects on the preservation of the biological activity, and on the release performance. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Process to remove rare earth from IFR electrolyte

    DOEpatents

    Ackerman, John P.; Johnson, Terry R.

    1994-01-01

    The invention is a process for the removal of rare earths from molten chloride electrolyte salts used in the reprocessing of integrated fast reactor fuel (IFR). The process can be used either continuously during normal operation of the electrorefiner or as a batch process. The process consists of first separating the actinide values from the salt before purification by removal of the rare earths. After replacement of the actinides removed in the first step, the now-purified salt electrolyte has the same uranium and plutonium concentration and ratio as when the salt was removed from the electrorefiner.

  3. Process to remove rare earth from IFR electrolyte

    DOEpatents

    Ackerman, J.P.; Johnson, T.R.

    1992-01-01

    The invention is a process for the removal of rare earths from molten chloride electrolyte salts used in the reprocessing of integrated fast reactor fuel (IFR). The process can be used either continuously during normal operation of the electrorefiner or as a batch process. The process consists of first separating the actinide values from the salt before purification by removal of the rare earths. After replacement of the actinides removed in the first step, the now-purified salt electrolyte has the same uranium and plutonium concentration and ratio as when the salt was removed from the electrorefiner.

  4. Process to remove rare earth from IFR electrolyte

    DOEpatents

    Ackerman, J.P.; Johnson, T.R.

    1994-08-09

    The invention is a process for the removal of rare earths from molten chloride electrolyte salts used in the reprocessing of integrated fast reactor fuel (IFR). The process can be used either continuously during normal operation of the electrorefiner or as a batch process. The process consists of first separating the actinide values from the salt before purification by removal of the rare earths. After replacement of the actinides removed in the first step, the now-purified salt electrolyte has the same uranium and plutonium concentration and ratio as when the salt was removed from the electrorefiner. 1 fig.

  5. Glass electrolyte composition

    DOEpatents

    Kucera, Gene H.; Roche, Michael F.

    1985-01-01

    An ionically conductive glass is disclosed for use as electrolyte in a high temperature electrochemical cell, particularly a cell with sodium anode and sulfur cathode. The glass includes the constituents Na.sub.2 O, ZrO.sub.2, Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 and SiO.sub.2 in selected proportions to be a single phase solid solution substantially free of crystalline regions and undissolved constituents. Other advantageous properties are an ionic conductivity in excess of 2.times.10.sup.-3 (ohm-cm).sup.-1 at 300.degree. C. and a glass transition temperature in excess of 500.degree. C.

  6. Glass electrolyte composition

    DOEpatents

    Kucera, G.H.; Roche, M.F.

    1985-01-08

    An ionically conductive glass is disclosed for use as electrolyte in a high temperature electrochemical cell, particularly a cell with sodium anode and sulfur cathode. The glass includes the constituents Na/sub 2/O, ZrO/sub 2/, Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ and SiO/sub 2/ in selected proportions to be a single phase solid solution substantially free of crystalline regions and undissolved constituents. Other advantageous properties are an ionic conductivity in excess of 2 x 10/sup -3/ (ohm-cm)/sup -1/ at 300/sup 0/C and a glass transition temperature in excess of 500/sup 0/C.

  7. Ionic Structure at Dielectric Interfaces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jing, Yufei

    The behavior of ions in liquids confined between macromolecules determines the outcome of many nanoscale assembly processes in synthetic and biological materials such as colloidal dispersions, emulsions, hydrogels, DNA, cell membranes, and proteins. Theoretically, the macromolecule-liquid boundary is often modeled as a dielectric interface and an important quantity of interest is the ionic structure in a liquid confined between two such interfaces. The knowledge gleaned from the study of ionic structure in such models can be useful in several industrial applications, such as biosensors, lithium-ion batteries double-layer supercapacitors for energy storage and seawater desalination. Electrostatics plays a critical role in the development of such functional materials. Many of the functions of these materials, result from charge and composition heterogeneities. There are great challenges in solving electrostatics problems in heterogeneous media with arbitrary shapes because electrostatic interactions remains unknown but depend on the particular density of charge distributions. Charged molecules in heterogeneous media affect the media's dielectric response and hence the interaction between the charges is unknown since it depends on the media and on the geometrical properties of the interfaces. To determine the properties of heterogeneous systems including crucial effects neglected in classical mean field models such as the hard core of the ions, the dielectric mismatch and interfaces with arbitrary shapes. The effect of hard core interactions accounts properly for short range interactions and the effect of local dielectric heterogeneities in the presence of ions and/or charged molecules for long-range interactions are both analyzed via an energy variational principle that enables to update charges and the medium's response in the same simulation time step. In particular, we compute the ionic structure in a model system of electrolyte confined by two planar dielectric

  8. Pair distribution function analysis of sulfide glassy electrolytes for all-solid-state batteries: Understanding the improvement of ionic conductivity under annealing condition.

    PubMed

    Shiotani, Shinya; Ohara, Koji; Tsukasaki, Hirofumi; Mori, Shigeo; Kanno, Ryoji

    2017-08-01

    In general, the ionic conductivity of sulfide glasses decreases with their crystallization, although it increases for a few sulphide glasses owing to the crystallization of a highly conductive new phase (e.g., Li 7 P 3 S 11 : 70Li 2 S-30P 2 S 5 ). We found that the ionic conductivity of 75Li 2 S-25P 2 S 5 sulfide glass, which consists of glassy and crystalline phases, is improved by optimizing the conditions of the heat treatment, i.e., annealing. A different mechanism of high ionic conductivity from the conventional mechanism is expected in the glassy phase. Here, we report the glassy structure of 75Li 2 S-25P 2 S 5 immediately before the crystallization by using the differential pair distribution function (d-PDF) analysis of high-energy X-ray diffraction. Even though the ionic conductivity increases during the optimum annealing, the d-PDF analysis indicated that the glassy structure undergoes no structural change in the sulfide glass-ceramic electrolyte at a crystallinity of 33.1%. We observed the formation of a nanocrystalline phase in the X-ray and electron diffraction patterns before the crystallization, which means that Bragg peaks were deformed. Thus, the ionic conductivity in the mixture of glassy and crystalline phases is improved by the coexistence of the nanocrystalline phase.

  9. Compliant glass–polymer hybrid single ion-conducting electrolytes for lithium batteries

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Villaluenga, Irune; Wujcik, Kevin H.; Tong, Wei

    2015-12-22

    Despite high ionic conductivities, current inorganic solid electrolytes cannot be used in lithium batteries because of a lack of compliance and adhesion to active particles in battery electrodes as they are discharged and charged. Here, we have successfully developed a compliant, nonflammable, hybrid single ion-conducting electrolyte comprising inorganic sulfide glass particles covalently bonded to a perfluoropolyether polymer. The hybrid with 23 wt% perfluoropolyether exhibits low shear modulus relative to neat glass electrolytes, ionic conductivity of 10 -4 S/cm at room temperature, a cation transference number close to unity, and an electrochemical stability window up to 5 V relative to Limore » +/Li. X-ray absorption spectroscopy indicates that the hybrid electrolyte limits lithium polysulfide dissolution and is, thus, ideally suited for Li-S cells. Our work opens a previously unidentified route for developing compliant solid electrolytes that will address the challenges of lithium batteries.« less

  10. Compliant glass–polymer hybrid single ion-conducting electrolytes for lithium batteries

    PubMed Central

    Villaluenga, Irune; Wujcik, Kevin H.; Tong, Wei; Devaux, Didier; Wong, Dominica H. C.; DeSimone, Joseph M.; Balsara, Nitash P.

    2016-01-01

    Despite high ionic conductivities, current inorganic solid electrolytes cannot be used in lithium batteries because of a lack of compliance and adhesion to active particles in battery electrodes as they are discharged and charged. We have successfully developed a compliant, nonflammable, hybrid single ion-conducting electrolyte comprising inorganic sulfide glass particles covalently bonded to a perfluoropolyether polymer. The hybrid with 23 wt% perfluoropolyether exhibits low shear modulus relative to neat glass electrolytes, ionic conductivity of 10−4 S/cm at room temperature, a cation transference number close to unity, and an electrochemical stability window up to 5 V relative to Li+/Li. X-ray absorption spectroscopy indicates that the hybrid electrolyte limits lithium polysulfide dissolution and is, thus, ideally suited for Li-S cells. Our work opens a previously unidentified route for developing compliant solid electrolytes that will address the challenges of lithium batteries. PMID:26699512

  11. Exploration on effects of 15 nm SiO2 filler on miscibility, thermal stability and ionic conductivity of PMMA/ENR 50 electrolytes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zamri, S. F. M.; Latif, F. A.; Ali, A. M. M.; Ibrahim, R.; Azuan, S. I. H. M.; Kamaluddin, N.; Hadip, F.

    2017-02-01

    The effects of silicon dioxide (SiO2) (15 nm) filler on miscibility, thermal stability and ionic conductivity of polymethyl methacrylate/50% epoxidized narural rubber (PMMA/ENR 50) electrolytes were successfully explored. Samples were prepared by solvent casting method with tetrahydrofuran (THF) as solvent and doped with lithium tetrafluoroborate (LiBF4). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the present of hydrogen bond between PMMA and ENR 50. However, the hydrogen bond was reduced when SiO2 was added. Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) analysis shows that PMMA/ENR 50 blends exhibit two glass transition temperatures (Tgs) recorded at -35 and 89 °C corresponding to the Tg of ENR 50 rich phase (Tg1) and PMMA rich phase (Tg2), respectively. However, the two Tgs almost merging and reduced when SiO2 was added. Tg1 was found increases as SiO2 weight percent increased. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed that thermal degradation temperatures (Tds) of SiO2 filled PMMA/ENR 50 was similar as PMMA/ENR 50. Interestingly, thermal degradation temperatures of the loss of impurities (Td1) and thermal degradation temperatures of PMMA side chain (Td2) were increased when SiO2 was added. Meanwhile thermal degradation temperatures of main PMMA and ENR 50 main chain (Td3) was decreased as SiO2 was added. There was no significant change in Td1, Td2 and Td3 as SiO2 weight percent was varied. Electrochemical impedence spectroscopy (EIS) analysis shows that room temperature ionic conductivity of SiO2 filled PMMA/ENR 50 electrolytes were higher compaed PMMA/ENR 50 electrolyte with two conductivity maxima.

  12. High-performance supercapacitors based on poly(ionic liquid)-modified graphene electrodes.

    PubMed

    Kim, Tae Young; Lee, Hyun Wook; Stoller, Meryl; Dreyer, Daniel R; Bielawski, Christopher W; Ruoff, Rodney S; Suh, Kwang S

    2011-01-25

    We report a high-performance supercapacitor incorporating a poly(ionic liquid)-modified reduced graphene oxide (PIL:RG-O) electrode and an ionic liquid (IL) electrolyte (specifically, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide or EMIM-NTf(2)). PIL:RG-O provides enhanced compatibility with the IL electrolyte, thereby increasing the effective electrode surface area accessible to electrolyte ions. The supercapacitor assembled with PIL:RG-O electrode and EMIM-NTf(2) electrolyte showed a stable electrochemical response up to 3.5 V operating voltage and was capable of yielding a maximum energy density of 6.5 W·h/kg with a power density of 2.4 kW/kg. These results demonstrate the potential of the PIL:RG-O material as an electrode in high-performance supercapacitors.

  13. Development of safe, green and high performance ionic liquids-based batteries (ILLIBATT project)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Balducci, A.; Jeong, S. S.; Kim, G. T.; Passerini, S.; Winter, M.; Schmuck, M.; Appetecchi, G. B.; Marcilla, R.; Mecerreyes, D.; Barsukov, V.; Khomenko, V.; Cantero, I.; De Meatza, I.; Holzapfel, M.; Tran, N.

    This manuscript presents the work carried out within the European project ILLIBATT, which was dedicated to the development of green, safe and high performance ionic liquids-based lithium batteries. Different types of ionic liquids-based electrolytes were developed in the project, based on different ionic liquids and polymers. Using these electrolytes, the performance of several anodic and cathodic materials has been tested and promising results have been obtained. Also, electrodes were formulated using water soluble binders. Using these innovative components, lithium-ion and lithium-metal battery prototypes (0.7-0.8 Ah) have been assembled and cycled between 100% and 0% SOC. The results of these tests showed that such ionic liquids-based prototypes are able to display high capacity, high coulombic efficiency and high cycle life. Moreover, safety tests showed that the introduction of these alternative electrolytes positively contribute to the safety of the batteries.

  14. Metal-air flow batteries using oxygen enriched electrolyte

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zheng, Jian-ping; Andrei, Petru; Shellikeri, Annadanesh

    A metal air flow battery includes an electrochemical reaction unit and an oxygen exchange unit. The electrochemical reaction unit includes an anode electrode, a cathode electrode, and an ionic conductive membrane between the anode and the cathode, an anode electrolyte, and a cathode electrolyte. The oxygen exchange unit contacts the cathode electrolyte with oxygen separate from the electrochemical reaction unit. At least one pump is provided for pumping cathode electrolyte between the electrochemical reaction unit and the oxygen exchange unit. A method for producing an electrical current is also disclosed.

  15. Metal-air flow batteries using oxygen enriched electrolyte

    DOEpatents

    Zheng, Jian-ping; Andrei, Petru; Shellikeri, Annadanesh; Chen, Xujie

    2017-08-01

    A metal air flow battery includes an electrochemical reaction unit and an oxygen exchange unit. The electrochemical reaction unit includes an anode electrode, a cathode electrode, and an ionic conductive membrane between the anode and the cathode, an anode electrolyte, and a cathode electrolyte. The oxygen exchange unit contacts the cathode electrolyte with oxygen separate from the electrochemical reaction unit. At least one pump is provided for pumping cathode electrolyte between the electrochemical reaction unit and the oxygen exchange unit. A method for producing an electrical current is also disclosed.

  16. Organic transistors making use of room temperature ionic liquids as gating medium

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hoyos, Jonathan Javier Sayago

    The ability to couple ionic and electronic transport in organic transistors, based on pi conjugated organic materials for the transistor channel, can be particularly interesting to achieve low voltage transistor operation, i.e. below 1 V. The operation voltage in typical organic transistors based on conventional dielectrics (200 nm thick SiO2) is commonly higher than 10 V. Electrolyte-gated (EG) transistors, i.e. employing an electrolyte as the gating medium, permit current modulations of several orders of magnitude at relatively low gate voltages thanks to the exceptionally high capacitance at the electrolyte/transistor channel interface, in turn due to the low thickness (ca. 3 nm) of the electrical double layers forming at the electrolyte/semiconductor interface. Electrolytes based on room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) are promising in EG transistor applications for their high electrochemical stability and good ionic conductivity. The main motivation behind this work is to achieve low voltage operation in organic transistors by making use of RTILs as gating medium. First we demonstrate the importance of the gate electrode material in the EG transistor performance. The use of high surface area carbon gate electrodes limits undesirable electrochemical processes and renders unnecessary the presence of a reference electrode to monitor the channel potential. This was demonstrated using activated carbon as gate electrode, the electronic conducting polymer MEH-PPV, poly[2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene] channel material, and the ionic liquid [EMIM][TFSI] (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide), as gating medium. Using high surface area gate electrodes resulted in sub-1 V operation and charge carrier mobilities of (1.0 +/- 0.5) x 10-2 cm2V -1s-1. A challenge in the field of EG transistors is to decrease their response time, a consequence of the slow ion redistribution in the transistor channel upon application of electric

  17. Application of Ionic Liquids in Amperometric Gas Sensors.

    PubMed

    Gębicki, Jacek; Kloskowski, Adam; Chrzanowski, Wojciech; Stepnowski, Piotr; Namiesnik, Jacek

    2016-01-01

    This article presents an analysis of available literature data on metrological parameters of the amperometric gas sensors containing ionic liquids as an electrolyte. Four mechanism types of signal generation in amperometric sensors with ionic liquid are described. Moreover, this article describes the influence of selected physico-chemical properties of the ionic liquids on the metrological parameters of these sensors. Some metrological parameters are also compared for amperometric sensors with GDE and SPE electrodes and with ionic liquids for selected analytes.

  18. High temperature lithium cells with solid polymer electrolytes

    DOEpatents

    Yang, Jin; Eitouni, Hany Basam; Singh, Mohit

    2017-03-07

    Electrochemical cells that use electrolytes made from new polymer compositions based on poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) and other high-softening-temperature polymers are disclosed. These materials have a microphase domain structure that has an ionically-conductive phase and a phase with good mechanical strength and a high softening temperature. In one arrangement, the structural block has a softening temperature of about 210.degree. C. These materials can be made with either homopolymers or with block copolymers. Such electrochemical cells can operate safely at higher temperatures than have been possible before, especially in lithium cells. The ionic conductivity of the electrolytes increases with increasing temperature.

  19. Noncovalent Pi-Pi Stacking at the Carbon-Electrolyte Interface: Controlling the Voltage Window of Electrochemical Supercapacitors.

    PubMed

    Li, Mengya; Westover, Andrew S; Carter, Rachel; Oakes, Landon; Muralidharan, Nitin; Boire, Timothy C; Sung, Hak-Joon; Pint, Cary L

    2016-08-03

    A key parameter in the operation of an electrochemical double-layer capacitor is the voltage window, which dictates the device energy density and power density. Here we demonstrate experimental evidence that π-π stacking at a carbon-ionic liquid interface can modify the operation voltage of a supercapacitor device by up to 30%, and this can be recovered by steric hindrance at the electrode-electrolyte interface introduced by poly(ethylene oxide) polymer electrolyte additives. This observation is supported by Raman spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry that each independently elucidates the signature of π-π stacking between imidazole groups in the ionic liquid and the carbon surface and the role this plays to lower the energy barrier for charge transfer at the electrode-electrolyte interface. This effect is further observed universally across two separate ionic liquid electrolyte systems and is validated by control experiments showing an invariant electrochemical window in the absence of a carbon-ionic liquid electrode-electrolyte interface. As interfacial or noncovalent interactions are usually neglected in the mechanistic picture of double-layer capacitors, this work highlights the importance of understanding chemical properties at supercapacitor interfaces to engineer voltage and energy capability.

  20. Influence of the ionic liquid/gas surface on ionic liquid chemistry.

    PubMed

    Lovelock, Kevin R J

    2012-04-21

    Applications such as gas storage, gas separation, NP synthesis and supported ionic liquid phase catalysis depend upon the interaction of different species with the ionic liquid/gas surface. Consequently, these applications cannot proceed to the full extent of their potential without a profound understanding of the surface structure and properties. As a whole, this perspective contains more questions than answers, which demonstrates the current state of the field. Throughout this perspective, crucial questions are posed and a roadmap is proposed to answer these questions. A critical analysis is made of the field of ionic liquid/gas surface structure and properties, and a number of design rules are mined. The effects of ionic additives on the ionic liquid/gas surface structure are presented. A possible driving force for surface formation is discussed that has, to the best of my knowledge, not been postulated in the literature to date. This driving force suggests that for systems composed solely of ions, the rules for surface formation of dilute electrolytes do not apply. The interaction of neutral additives with the ionic liquid/gas surface is discussed. Particular attention is focussed upon H(2)O and CO(2), vital additives for many applications of ionic liquids. Correlations between ionic liquid/gas surface structure and properties, ionic liquid surfaces plus additives, and ionic liquid applications are given. This journal is © the Owner Societies 2012

  1. High efficiency solid state dye sensitized solar cells with graphene-polyethylene oxide composite electrolytes.

    PubMed

    Akhtar, M Shaheer; Kwon, Soonji; Stadler, Florian J; Yang, O Bong

    2013-06-21

    Novel and highly effective composite electrolytes were prepared by combining the two dimensional graphene (Gra) and polyethylene oxide (PEO) for the solid electrolyte of dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Gra sheets were uniformly coated by the polymer layer through the ester carboxylate bonding between oxygenated species on Gra sheets and PEO. The Gra-PEO composite electrolyte showed the large scale generation of iodide ions in a redox couple. From rheological analysis, the decrease in viscosity after the addition of LiI and I2 in the Gra-PEO electrolyte might be explained by the dipolar interactions being severely disrupted by the ionic interactions of Li(+), I(-), and I3(-) ions. A composite electrolyte with 0.5 wt% Gra presented a higher ionic conductivity (3.32 mS cm(-1)) than those of PEO and other composite electrolytes at room temperature. A high overall conversion efficiency (∼5.23%) with a very high short circuit current (JSC) of 18.32 mA cm(-2), open circuit voltage (VOC) of 0.592 V and fill factor (FF) of 0.48 was achieved in DSSCs fabricated with the 0.5 wt% Gra-PEO composite electrolyte. This enhanced photovoltaic performance might be attributed to the large scale formation of iodide ions in the redox electrolyte and the relatively high ionic conductivity.

  2. Inkjet printing of nanoporous gold electrode arrays on cellulose membranes for high-sensitive paper-like electrochemical oxygen sensors using ionic liquid electrolytes.

    PubMed

    Hu, Chengguo; Bai, Xiaoyun; Wang, Yingkai; Jin, Wei; Zhang, Xuan; Hu, Shengshui

    2012-04-17

    A simple approach to the mass production of nanoporous gold electrode arrays on cellulose membranes for electrochemical sensing of oxygen using ionic liquid (IL) electrolytes was established. The approach, combining the inkjet printing of gold nanoparticle (GNP) patterns with the self-catalytic growth of these patterns into conducting layers, can fabricate hundreds of self-designed gold arrays on cellulose membranes within several hours using an inexpensive inkjet printer. The resulting paper-based gold electrode arrays (PGEAs) had several unique properties as thin-film sensor platforms, including good conductivity, excellent flexibility, high integration, and low cost. The porous nature of PGEAs also allowed the addition of electrolytes from the back cellulose membrane side and controllably produced large three-phase electrolyte/electrode/gas interfaces at the front electrode side. A novel paper-based solid-state electrochemical oxygen (O(2)) sensor was therefore developed using an IL electrolyte, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BMIMPF(6)). The sensor looked like a piece of paper but possessed high sensitivity for O(2) in a linear range from 0.054 to 0.177 v/v %, along with a low detection limit of 0.0075% and a short response time of less than 10 s, foreseeing its promising applications in developing cost-effective and environment-friendly paper-based electrochemical gas sensors.

  3. Highly Conductive, Stretchable, and Transparent Solid Polymer Electrolyte Membrane

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    He, Ruixuan; Echeverri, Mauricio; Kyu, Thein

    2014-03-01

    With the guidance of ternary phase diagrams, completely amorphous polymer electrolyte membranes (PEM) were successfully prepared by melt processing for lithium-ion battery. The PEM under consideration consisted of poly (ethylene glycol diacrylate) (PEGDA), succinonitrile (SCN) and Lithium bis(trifluoro-methane)sulfonamide (LiTFSI). After UV-crosslinking, the PEM is transparent and light-weight. Addition of SCN plastic crystal affords not only dissociation of the lithium salt, but also plasticization to the crosslinked PEGDA network. Of particular importance is the achievement of room-temperature ionic conductivity of ~10-3 S/cm, which is comparable to that of commercial liquid electrolyte. Higher ionic conductivities were achieved at elevated temperatures or with use of a moderately higher molecular weight of PEGDA. In terms of electrochemical and chemical stability, the PEM exhibited oxidative stability up to 5 V against lithium reference electrode. Stable interface behavior between the PEM and lithium electrode is also seen with ageing time. In the tensile tests, samples containing low molecular weight PEGDA are stiffer, whereas the high molecular weight PEGDA is stretchable up to 80% elongation. Supported by NSF-DMR 1161070.

  4. Boron compounds as anion binding agents for nonaqueous battery electrolytes

    DOEpatents

    Lee, Hung Sui; Yang, Xia-Oing; McBreen, James; Xiang, Caili

    2000-02-08

    Novel fluorinated boron-based compounds which act as anion receptors in non-aqueous battery electrolytes are provided. When added to non-aqueous battery electrolytes, the fluorinated boron-based compounds of the invention enhance ionic conductivity and cation transference number of non-aqueous electrolytes. The fluorinated boron-based anion receptors include borane and borate compounds bearing different fluorinated alkyl and aryl groups.

  5. Alkaline polymer electrolyte fuel cells stably working at 80 °C

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Peng, Hanqing; Li, Qihao; Hu, Meixue; Xiao, Li; Lu, Juntao; Zhuang, Lin

    2018-06-01

    Alkaline polymer electrolyte fuel cells are a new class of polymer electrolyte fuel cells that fundamentally enables the use of nonprecious metal catalysts. The cell performance mostly relies on the quality of alkaline polymer electrolytes, including the ionic conductivity and the chemical/mechanical stability. For a long time, alkaline polymer electrolytes are thought to be too weak in stability to allow the fuel cell to be operated at elevated temperatures, e.g., above 60 °C. In the present work, we report a progress in the state-of-the-art alkaline polymer electrolyte fuel cell technology. By using a newly developed alkaline polymer electrolyte, quaternary ammonia poly (N-methyl-piperidine-co-p-terphenyl), which simultaneously possesses high ionic conductivity and excellent chemical/mechanical stability, the fuel cell can now be stably operated at 80 °C with high power density. The peak power density reaches ca. 1.5 W/cm2 at 80 °C with Pt/C catalysts used in both the anode and the cathode. The cell works stably in a period of study over 100 h.

  6. Electrochemical and in-situ X-ray diffraction studies of Ti 3C 2T x MXene in ionic liquid electrolyte

    DOE PAGES

    Lin, Zifeng; Rozier, Patrick; Duployer, Benjamin; ...

    2016-08-26

    2D titanium carbide (Ti 3C 2T x MXene) showed good capacitance in both organic and neat ionic liquid electrolytes, but its charge storage mechanism is still not fully understood. Here, electrochemical characteristics of Ti 3C 2T x electrode were studied in neat EMI-TFSI electrolyte. A capacitive behavior was observed within a large electrochemical potential range (from – 1.5 to 1.5 V vs. Ag). Intercalation and de-intercalation of EMI + cations and/or TFSI– anions were investigated by in-situ X-ray diffraction. Interlayer spacing of Ti 3C 2T x flakes decreases during positive polarization, which can be ascribed to either electrostatic attraction effectmore » between intercalated TFSI– anions and positively charged Ti 3C 2T x nanosheets or steric effect caused by de-intercalation of EMI + cations. In conclusion, the expansion of interlayer spacing when polarized to negative potentials is explained by steric effect of cation intercalation.« less

  7. Symmetric supercapacitor: Sulphurized graphene and ionic liquid.

    PubMed

    Shaikh, Jasmin S; Shaikh, Navajsharif S; Kharade, Rohini; Beknalkar, Sonali A; Patil, Jyoti V; Suryawanshi, Mahesh P; Kanjanaboos, Pongsakorn; Hong, Chang Kook; Kim, Jin Hyeok; Patil, Pramod S

    2018-10-01

    Symmetric supercapacitor is advanced over simple supercapacitor device due to their stability over a large potential window and high energy density. Graphene is a desired candidate for supercapacitor application since it has a high surface area, good electronic conductivity and high electro chemical stability. There is a pragmatic use of ionic liquid electrolyte for supercapacitor due to its stability over a large potential window, good ionic conductivity and eco-friendly nature. For high performance supercapacitor, the interaction between ionic liquid electrolyte and graphene are crucial for better charge transportation. In respect of this, a three-dimensional (3D) nanoporous honeycomb shaped sulfur embedded graphene (S-graphene) has been synthesized by simple chemical method. Here, the fabrication of high performance symmetric supercapacitor is done by using S-graphene as an electrode and [BMIM-PF 6 ] as an electrolyte. The particular architecture of S-graphene benefited to reduce the ion diffusion resistance, providing the large surface area for charge transportation and efficient charge storage. The S-graphene and ionic liquid-based symmetric supercapacitor device showed the large potential window of 3.2 V with high energy density 124 Wh kg -1 at 0.2 A g -1 constant applied current density. Furthermore, this device shows good cycling performance (stability) with a capacitive retention of 95% over 20,000 cycles at a higher current density of 2 A g -1 . Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Advancing Polymer-Supported Ionogel Electrolytes Formed via Radical Polymerization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Visentin, Adam F.

    Applications ranging from consumer electronics to the electric grid have placed demands on current energy storage technologies. There is a drive for devices that store more energy for rapid consumption in the case of electric cars and the power grid, and safer, versatile design options for consumer electronics. Electrochemical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) are an option that has garnered attention as a means to address these varied energy storage demands. EDLCs utilize charge separation in electrolytes to store energy. This energy storage mechanism allows for greater power density (W kg -1) than batteries and higher energy density (Wh kg-1) than conventional capacitors - along with a robust lifetime in the range of thousands to millions of charge-discharge cycles. Safety and working voltage windows of EDLCs currently on the market are limited by the organic solvents utilized in the electrolyte. A potential solution lies in the replacement of the organic solvents with ionic liquids, or room-temperature molten salts. Ionic liquids possess many superior properties in comparison to conventional solvents: wide electrochemical window, low volatility, nonflammability, and favorable ionic conductivity. It has been an endeavor of this work to exploit these advantages while altering the liquid form factor into a gel. An ionic liquid/solid support scaffold composite electrolyte, or ionogel, adds additional benefits: flexible device design, lower encapsulation weight, and elimination of electrolyte leakage. This work has focused on investigations of a UV-polymerizable monomer, poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate, as a precursor for forming ionogels in situ. The trade-off between gaining mechanical stability at the cost of ionic conductivity has been investigated for numerous ionogel systems. While gaining a greater understanding of the interactions between the gel scaffold and ionic liquid, an ionogel with the highest known ionic conductivity to date (13.1 mS cm-1) was

  9. Electrochemical cell with high conductivity glass electrolyte

    DOEpatents

    Nelson, P.A.; Bloom, I.D.; Roche, M.F.

    1986-04-17

    A secondary electrochemical cell with sodium-sulfur or other molten reactants is provided with an ionically conductive glass electrolyte. The cell is contained within an electrically conductive housing with a first portion at negative potential and a second portion insulated therefrom at positive electrode potential. The glass electrolyte is formed into a plurality of elongated tubes and placed lengthwise within the housing. The positive electrode material, for instance sulfur, is sealed into the glass electrolyte tubes and is provided with an elongated axial current collector. The glass electrolyte tubes are protected by shield tubes or sheets that also define narrow annuli for wicking of the molten negative electrode material.

  10. Electrochemical cell with high conductivity glass electrolyte

    DOEpatents

    Nelson, P.A.; Bloom, I.D.; Roche, M.F.

    1987-04-21

    A secondary electrochemical cell with sodium-sulfur or other molten reactants is provided with a ionically conductive glass electrolyte. The cell is contained within an electrically conductive housing with a first portion at negative potential and a second portion insulated therefrom at positive electrode potential. The glass electrolyte is formed into a plurality of elongated tubes and placed lengthwise within the housing. The positive electrode material, for instance sulfur, is sealed into the glass electrolyte tubes and is provided with an elongated axial current collector. The glass electrolyte tubes are protected by shield tubes or sheets that also define narrow annuli for wicking of the molten negative electrode material. 6 figs.

  11. Electrochemical cell with high conductivity glass electrolyte

    DOEpatents

    Nelson, Paul A.; Bloom, Ira D.; Roche, Michael F.

    1987-01-01

    A secondary electrochemical cell with sodium-sulfur or other molten reactants is provided with a ionically conductive glass electrolyte. The cell is contained within an electrically conductive housing with a first portion at negative potential and a second portion insulated therefrom at positive electrode potential. The glass electrolyte is formed into a plurality of elongated tubes and placed lengthwise within the housing. The positive electrode material, for instance sulfur, is sealed into the glass electrolyte tubes and is provided with an elongated axial current collector. The glass electrolyte tubes are protected by shield tubes or sheets that also define narrow annuli for wicking of the molten negative electrode material.

  12. High Voltage LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4/Li4Ti5O12 Lithium Ion Cells at Elevated Temperatures: Carbonate- versus Ionic Liquid-Based Electrolytes.

    PubMed

    Cao, Xia; He, Xin; Wang, Jun; Liu, Haidong; Röser, Stephan; Rad, Babak Rezaei; Evertz, Marco; Streipert, Benjamin; Li, Jie; Wagner, Ralf; Winter, Martin; Cekic-Laskovic, Isidora

    2016-10-05

    Thanks to its high operating voltage, the LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O 4 (LNMO) spinel represents a promising next-generation cathode material candidate for Lithium ion batteries. However, LNMO-based full-cells with organic carbonate solvent electrolytes suffer from severe capacity fading issues, associated with electrolyte decomposition and concurrent degradative reactions at the electrode/electrolyte interface, especially at elevated temperatures. As promising alternatives, two selected LiTFSI/pyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethane-sulfonyl)imide room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) based electrolytes with inherent thermal stability were investigated in this work. Linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) profiles of the investigated LiTFSI/RTIL electrolytes display much higher oxidative stability compared to the state-of-the-art LiPF 6 /organic carbonate based electrolyte at elevated temperatures. Cycling performance of the LNMO/Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 (LTO) full-cells with LiTFSI/RTIL electrolytes reveals remarkable improvements with respect to capacity retention and Coulombic efficiency. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns indicate maintained pristine morphology and structure of LNMO particles after 50 cycles at 0.5C. The investigated LiTFSI/RTIL based electrolytes outperform the LiPF 6 /organic carbonate-based electrolyte in terms of cycling performance in LNMO/LTO full-cells at elevated temperatures.

  13. Self-consistent modeling of electrochemical strain microscopy of solid electrolytes

    DOE PAGES

    Tselev, Alexander; Morozovska, Anna N.; Udod, Alexei; ...

    2014-10-10

    Electrochemical strain microscopy (ESM) employs a strong electromechanical coupling in solid ionic conductors to map ionic transport and electrochemical processes with nanometer-scale spatial resolution. To elucidate the mechanisms of the ESM image formation, we performed self-consistent numerical modeling of the electromechanical response in solid electrolytes under the probe tip in a linear, small-signal regime using the Boltzmann–Planck–Nernst–Einstein theory and Vegard's law while taking account of the electromigration and diffusion. We identified the characteristic time scales involved in the formation of the ESM response and found that the dynamics of the charge carriers in the tip-electrolyte system with blocking interfaces canmore » be described as charging of the diffuse layer at the tip-electrolyte interface through the tip contact spreading resistance. At the high frequencies used in the detection regime, the distribution of the charge carriers under the tip is governed by evanescent concentration waves generated at the tip-electrolyte interface. The ion drift length in the electric field produced by the tip determines the ESM response at high frequencies, which follows a 1/f asymptotic law. The electronic conductivity, as well as the electron transport through the electrode-electrolyte interface, do not have a significant effect on the ESM signal in the detection regime. The results indicate, however, that for typical solid electrolytes at room temperature, the ESM response originates at and contains information about the very surface layer of a sample, and the properties of the one-unit-cell-thick surface layer may significantly contribute to the ESM response, implying a high surface sensitivity and a high lateral resolution of the technique. On the other hand, it follows that a rigorous analysis of the ESM signals requires techniques that account for the discrete nature of a solid.« less

  14. Flexible poly(ethylene carbonate)/garnet composite solid electrolyte reinforced by poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) for lithium metal batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    He, Zijian; Chen, Long; Zhang, Bochen; Liu, Yongchang; Fan, Li-Zhen

    2018-07-01

    Solid-state electrolytes with high ionic conductivities, great flexibility, and easy processability are needed for high-performance solid-state rechargeable lithium batteries. In this work, we synthesize nanosized cubic Li6.25Al0.25La3Zr2O12 (LLZO) by solution combustion method and develop a flexible garnet-based composite solid electrolyte composed of LLZO, poly(ethylene carbonate) (PEC), poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (P(VdF-HFP) and lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiFSI)). In the flexible composite solid electrolytes, LLZO nanoparticles, as ceramic matrix, have a positive effect on ionic conductivities and lithium ion transference number (tLi+). PEC, as a fast ion-conducting polymer, possesses high tLi+ inherently. P(VdF-HFP), as a binder, can strengthen mechanical properties. Consequently, the as-prepared composite solid electrolyte demonstrates high tLi+ (0.82) and superb thermal stability (remaining LLZO matrix after burning). All-solid-state LiFePO4|Li cells assembled with the flexible composite solid electrolyte deliver a high initial discharge specific capacity of 121.4 mAh g-1 and good cycling stability at 55 °C.

  15. Continuous process to produce lithium-polymer batteries

    DOEpatents

    Chern, Terry Song-Hsing; Keller, David Gerard; MacFadden, Kenneth Orville

    1998-01-01

    Solid polymer electrolytes are extruded with active electrode material in a continuous, one-step process to form composite electrolyte-electrodes ready for assembly into battery cells. The composite electrolyte-electrode sheets are extruded onto current collectors to form electrodes. The composite electrodes, as extruded, are electronically and ionically conductive. The composite electrodes can be overcoated with a solid polymer electrolyte, which acts as a separator upon battery assembly. The interface between the solid polymer electrolyte composite electrodes and the solid polymer electrolyte separator has low resistance.

  16. A solid state actuator based on polypyrrole (PPy) and a solid electrolyte NBR working in air

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cho, Misuk; Nam, Jaedo; Choi, Hyouk Ryeol; Koo, Jachoon; Lee, Youngkwan

    2005-05-01

    The solid polymer electrolyte based conducting polymer actuator was presented. In the preparation of acutuator module, an ionic liquid impregnated a synthetic rubber (NBR) and PPy were used as a solid polymer electrolyte and conducting polymer, respectively. An ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis (trifluoromethyl sulfonyl)imide (BMITFSI) is gradually dispersed into the NBR film and the conducting polymer, PPy was synthesized on the surface of NBR. The ionic conductivity of new type solid polymer electrolyte as a function of the immersion time was investigated. The cyclic voltammetry responsed and the redox switching dynamics of PEDOT in NBR matrix were studied. The displacement of the actuator was measured by laser beam.

  17. Electrolyte with Low Polysulfide Solubility for Li-S Batteries

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sun, Ke; Wu, Qin; Tong, Xiao

    Here, Li-S battery is one of the most promising next generation rechargeable battery technologies due to its high theoretical energy density and low material cost. While its success is impeded by the low energy efficiency and fast capacity fade primarily caused by the discharge intermediates, Li-polysulfides (PS), dissolution in the electrolyte. Mitigation of PS dissolution in electrolyte involves the search of new electrolyte solvent system that exhibits poor solvation to the PS while still have good solvation ability to the electrolyte salt for high ionic conductivity. Applying co-solvents with reduced solvating power but compatible with the state of art Li-Smore » battery’s ether-based electrolyte is one of the most promising concepts. This route is also advantageous of having a low scale-up cost. With the aids of Quantum Chemical Calculation, we have identified high carbon-to-oxygen (C/O) ratio ethers as co-solvent in the new electrolytes that effectively impede PS dissolution while still maintaining high ionic conductivity. Significantly improved cycle life and cycling Coulombic efficiency are observed for Li-S cells using the new composite electrolytes. Anode analysis with different methods also demonstrate that reducing electrolyte’s PS solubility results in less sulfur total amount on the lithium anode surface and lower ratio of the longer-chain PS, which is probably a sign of suppressed side reactions between the anode and PS in the electrolyte.« less

  18. Electrolyte with Low Polysulfide Solubility for Li-S Batteries

    DOE PAGES

    Sun, Ke; Wu, Qin; Tong, Xiao; ...

    2018-05-23

    Here, Li-S battery is one of the most promising next generation rechargeable battery technologies due to its high theoretical energy density and low material cost. While its success is impeded by the low energy efficiency and fast capacity fade primarily caused by the discharge intermediates, Li-polysulfides (PS), dissolution in the electrolyte. Mitigation of PS dissolution in electrolyte involves the search of new electrolyte solvent system that exhibits poor solvation to the PS while still have good solvation ability to the electrolyte salt for high ionic conductivity. Applying co-solvents with reduced solvating power but compatible with the state of art Li-Smore » battery’s ether-based electrolyte is one of the most promising concepts. This route is also advantageous of having a low scale-up cost. With the aids of Quantum Chemical Calculation, we have identified high carbon-to-oxygen (C/O) ratio ethers as co-solvent in the new electrolytes that effectively impede PS dissolution while still maintaining high ionic conductivity. Significantly improved cycle life and cycling Coulombic efficiency are observed for Li-S cells using the new composite electrolytes. Anode analysis with different methods also demonstrate that reducing electrolyte’s PS solubility results in less sulfur total amount on the lithium anode surface and lower ratio of the longer-chain PS, which is probably a sign of suppressed side reactions between the anode and PS in the electrolyte.« less

  19. Elucidation of the effect of ionic liquid pretreatment on rice husk via structural analyses

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background In the present study, three ionic liquids, namely 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([BMIM]Cl), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([EMIM]OAc), and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium diethyl phosphate ([EMIM]DEP), were used to partially dissolve rice husk, after which the cellulose were regenerated by the addition of water. The aim of the investigation is to examine the implications of the ionic liquid pretreatments on rice husk composition and structure. Results From the attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform-infrared (ATR FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results, the regenerated cellulose were more amorphous, less crystalline, and possessed higher structural disruption compared with untreated rice husk. The major component of regenerated cellulose from [BMIM]Cl and [EMIM]DEP pretreatments was cellulose-rich material, while cellulose regenerated from [EMIM]OAc was a matrix of cellulose and lignin. Cellulose regenerated from ionic pretreatments could be saccharified via enzymatic hydrolysis, and resulted in relatively high reducing sugars yields, whereas enzymatic hydrolysis of untreated rice husk did not yield reducing sugars. Rice husk residues generated from the ionic liquid pretreatments had similar chemical composition and amorphousity to that of untreated rice husk, but with varying extent of surface disruption and swelling. Conclusions The structural architecture of the regenerated cellulose and rice husk residues showed that they could be used for subsequent fermentation or derivation of cellulosic compounds. Therefore, ionic liquid pretreatment is an alternative in the pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass in addition to the conventional chemical pretreatments. PMID:22958710

  20. Studies on Ionic Conductivity and Electrochemical Stability of Plasticized Photopolymerized Polymer Electrolyte Membranes for Solid State Lithium Ion Batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    He, Ruixuan

    In pursuit of safer and more flexible solid-state lithium ion batteries, solid polymer electrolytes have emerged as a promising candidate. The present dissertation entails exploration of solid plasticized, photopolymerized (i.e. ultraviolent-cured) polymer electrolyte membranes (PEM) for fulfilling the critical requirements of electrolytes, such as high ionic conductivity and good thermal and electrochemical stability, among others. Electrochemical performance of PEMs containing lithium ion half-cells was also investigated at different two temperatures. Phase diagram approach was adopted to guide the fabrication of two types of plasticized PEMs. Prepolymer poly (ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) was used as a matrix for building an ionic conductive and mechanically sturdy network. Lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) was incorporated as a source of lithium ions, while a solid plasticizer succinonitrile (SCN) and a liquid plasticizer tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether (TEGDME) were incorporated in the respective systems. The important role of plasticizer on the enhancement of ionic conductivity (sigma) to the superionic conductive level (10-3 S/cm) was revealed in both systems. It is worth noting that photopolymerization induced crystallization (PIC) occurred during UV-curing in the SCN-rich region of the ternary PEGDA/LiTFSI/SCN ternary mixtures. The PEM thus formed contained a plastic crystal phase, which showed lower σ relative to their amorphous PEGDA/LiTFSI/TEGDME counterpart. Comparisons on other thermal and electrochemical properties of the two types of PEMs are presented in Chapter IV. For the PEGDA/LiTFSI/SCN PEMs, fundamental study was carried out to clarify the relationship between σ and glass transition temperature (T g). In lithium salt/polymer binary PEMs, increase in Tg and reduction in σ were observed; these may be attributed to ion-dipole complexation between dissociated lithium cations and ether oxygen upon salt addition

  1. Polyphosphazene Solid Electrolytes.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1984-10-01

    soL..I’IIN ’ . LAV A - .:.u.s 009 ’-" 4. T .. T. edSutoe .TVCO EO T EI O Polyphosphazene Solid Electrolytes Interim Technical Repor 6. PEAFORMING RG ...Y. T.; Whitmore , D. H. Solid State Ionics 1982, 7, 129. (10) Bauerle, J. E. J. Phys. Chem. Solids 1969, 30, 2657. (11) MacDonald, J. R. J. Chem. Phys

  2. ELECTROLYTIC SEPARATION PROCESS AND APPARATUS

    DOEpatents

    McLain, M.E. Jr.; Roberts, M.W.

    1962-03-01

    A method is given for dissolving stainless steel-c lad fuel elements in dilute acids such as half normal sulfuric acid. The fuel element is made the anode in a Y-shaped electrolytic cell which has a flowing mercury cathode; the stainless steel elements are entrained in the mercury and stripped therefrom by a continuous process. (AEC)

  3. Electrochemical testing of industrially produced PEO-based polymer electrolytes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Appetecchi, G. B.; Alessandrini, F.; Duan, R. G.; Arzu, A.; Passerini, S.

    The present report describes the results of the electrochemical tests performed on polyethyleneoxide-based polymer electrolyte thin films industrially manufactured by blown-extrusion. The polymer electrolyte composition was PEO 20 LiCF 3SO 3: 16.7% γLiAlO 2. The polymer electrolyte film was tested to evaluate the ionic conductivity as well as the interfacial properties with lithium metal anodes. The work was developed within the advanced lithium polymer electrolyte (ALPE) project, an Italian project devoted to the realization of lithium polymer batteries for electric vehicle applications, in collaboration with Union Carbide.

  4. Extremely dense microstructure and enhanced ionic conductivity in hot-isostatic pressing treated cubic garnet-type solid electrolyte of Ga2O3-doped Li7La3Zr2O12

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qin, Shiying; Zhu, Xiaohong; Jiang, Yue; Ling, Ming’En; Hu, Zhiwei; Zhu, Jiliang

    A large number of pores and a low relative density that are frequently observed in solid electrolytes reduce severely their ionic conductivity and thus limit their applicability. Here, we report on the use of hot isostatic pressing (HIP) for ameliorating the garnet-type lithium-ion conducting solid electrolyte of Ga2O3-doped Li7La3Zr2O12 (Ga-LLZO) with nominal composition of Li6.55Ga0.15La3Zr2O12. The Ga-LLZO pellets were conventionally sintered at 1075∘C for 12h, and then were followed by HIP treatment at 120MPa and 1160∘C under an Ar atmosphere. It is found that the HIP-treated Ga-LLZO shows an extremely dense microstructure and a significantly enhanced ionic conductivity. Coherent with the increase in relative density from 90.5% (untreated) to 97.5% (HIP-treated), the ionic conductivity of the HIP-treated Ga-LLZO reaches as high as 1.13×10‑3S/cm at room temperature (25∘C), being two times higher than that of 4.58×10‑4S/cm for the untreated one.

  5. ESM of ionic and electrochemical phenomena on the nanoscale

    DOE PAGES

    Kalinin, Sergei V.; Kumar, Amit; Balke, Nina; ...

    2011-01-01

    Operation of energy storage and conversion devices is ultimately controlled by series of intertwined ionic and electronic transport processes and electrochemical reactions at surfaces and interfaces, strongly mediated by strain and mechanical processes. In a typical fuel cell, these include chemical species transport in porous cathode and anode materials, gas-solid electrochemical reactions at grains and triple-phase boundaries (TPBs), ionic and electronic flows in multicomponent electrodes, and chemical and electronic potential drops at internal interfaces in electrodes and electrolytes. Furthermore, all these phenomena are sensitively affected by the microstructure of materials from device level to the atomic scales. Similar spectrum ofmore » length scales and phenomena underpin operation of other energy systems including primary and secondary batteries, as well as hybrid systems such flow and metal-air/water batteries.« less

  6. Electrolytic trapping of iodine from process gas streams

    DOEpatents

    Horner, Donald E.; Mailen, James C.; Posey, Franz A.

    1977-01-25

    A method for removing molecular, inorganic, and organic forms of iodine from process gas streams comprises the electrolytic oxidation of iodine in the presence of cobalt-III ions. The gas stream is passed through the anode compartment of a partitioned electrolytic cell having a nitric acid anolyte containing a catalytic amount of cobalt to cause the oxidation of effluent iodine species to aqueous soluble species.

  7. Synthesis and characterization of ionomers as polymer electrolytes for energy conversion devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oh, Hyukkeun

    Single-ion conducting electrolytes present a unique alternative to traditional binary salt conductors used in lithium-ion batteries. Secondary lithium batteries are considered as one of the leading candidates to replace the combustible engines in automotive technology, however several roadblocks are present which prevent their widespread commercialization. Power density, energy density and safety properties must be improved in order to enable the current secondary lithium battery technology to compete with existing energy technologies. It has been shown theoretically that single-ion electrolytes can eliminate the salt concentration gradient and polarization loss in the cell that develops in a binary salt system, resulting in substantial improvements in materials utilization for high power and energy densities. While attempts to utilize single-ion conducting electrolytes in lithium-ion battery systems have been made, the low ionic conductivities prevented the successful operation of the battery cells in ambient conditions. This work focuses on designing single-ion conducting electrolytes with high ionic conductivities and electrochemical and mechanical stability which enables the stable charge-discharge performance of battery cells. Perfluorosulfonate ionomers are known to possess exceptionally high ionic conductivities due to the electron-withdrawing effect caused by the C-F bonds which stabilizes the negative charge of the anion, leading to a large number of free mobile cations. The effect of perfluorinated sulfonic acid side chains on transport properties of proton exchange membrane polymers was examinated via a comparison of three ionomers, having different side chain structures and a similar polymer backbone. The three different side chain structures were aryl-, pefluoro alkyl-, and alkyl-sulfonic acid groups, respectively. All ionomers were synthesized and characterized by 1H and 19F NMR. A novel ionomer synthesized with a pendant perfluorinated sulfonic acid

  8. A high performance flexible all solid state supercapacitor based on the MnO2 sphere coated macro/mesoporous Ni/C electrode and ionic conducting electrolyte

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhi, Jian; Reiser, Oliver; Wang, Youfu; Hu, Aiguo

    2016-06-01

    A high contact resistance between the active materials and the current collector, a low ionic conductivity of the gel electrolyte, and an impenetrable electrode structure are the three major barriers which greatly limit the capacitance of MnO2 in solid state supercapacitors. As a potential solution to these problems, in this work we report a novel electrode for solid state supercapacitors, based on a ternary system composed of hierarchical MnO2 spheres as the active material, macroporous Ni foam as gel penetrable skeletons and an ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) membrane as the charge-transport accelerating layer. By employing butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BMIMCl) modified gels as the ionic conducting electrolyte, the utilization efficiency of MnO2 on the specific capacitance was enhanced up to 88% of the theoretical value, delivering a volumetric capacitance of 81 F cm-3, which is the highest value among MnO2 based solid state supercapacitors. Moreover, such a flexible device exhibits exceptional volumetric energy and power density (6.6 Wh L-1 and 549 W L-1, based on the whole device volume) combined with a small capacity loss of 8.5% after 6000 cycles under twisting. These encouraging findings unambiguously overcome the energy bottleneck of MnO2 in solid state supercapacitors, and open up a new application of macro/mesoporous materials in flexible devices.A high contact resistance between the active materials and the current collector, a low ionic conductivity of the gel electrolyte, and an impenetrable electrode structure are the three major barriers which greatly limit the capacitance of MnO2 in solid state supercapacitors. As a potential solution to these problems, in this work we report a novel electrode for solid state supercapacitors, based on a ternary system composed of hierarchical MnO2 spheres as the active material, macroporous Ni foam as gel penetrable skeletons and an ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) membrane as the charge-transport accelerating

  9. A sealed optical cell for the study of lithium-electrode|electrolyte interfaces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Howlett, P. C.; MacFarlane, D. R.; Hollenkamp, A. F.

    A sealed, symmetrical, lithium optical cell, which enables optical images of lithium surface deposits and in situ Raman spectra to be obtained simply and conveniently during charge-discharge cycling of lithium metal electrodes, has been designed and tested. A conventional aprotic liquid, 1 M lithium hexafluorophosphate in propylene carbonate, and an experimental ionic liquid, 20 mol% lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide in 1-ethyl 3-methyl imidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide, are investigated as electrolyte solutions. Images obtained from the cell with the former electrolyte solution demonstrate the problems associated with cycling lithium metal electrodes. Images obtained with the latter electrolyte solution provide clear evidence that continued investigation of ionic liquids for use with lithium metal electrodes is warranted. Operation of the cell with the conventional electrolyte yields Raman spectra of good quality. The spectra display vibrational modes which arise from the electrolyte, as well as several additional modes which are associated with the deposits formed during cycling.

  10. Continuous process to produce lithium-polymer batteries

    DOEpatents

    Chern, T.S.H.; Keller, D.G.; MacFadden, K.O.

    1998-05-12

    Solid polymer electrolytes are extruded with active electrode material in a continuous, one-step process to form composite electrolyte-electrodes ready for assembly into battery cells. The composite electrolyte electrode sheets are extruded onto current collectors to form electrodes. The composite electrodes, as extruded, are electronically and ionically conductive. The composite electrodes can be over coated with a solid polymer electrolyte, which acts as a separator upon battery assembly. The interface between the solid polymer electrolyte composite electrodes and the solid polymer electrolyte separator has low resistance. 1 fig.

  11. Origin of electrochemical, structural and transport properties in non-aqueous zinc electrolytes

    DOE PAGES

    Han, Sang -Don; Rajput, Nav Nidhi; Qu, Xiaohui; ...

    2016-01-14

    Through coupled experimental analysis and computational techniques, we uncover the origin of anodic stability for a range of nonaqueous zinc electrolytes. By examination of electrochemical, structural, and transport properties of nonaqueous zinc electrolytes with varying concentrations, it is demonstrated that the acetonitrile Zn(TFSI) 2, acetonitrile Zn(CF 3SO 3) 2, and propylene carbonate Zn(TFSI) 2 electrolytes can not only support highly reversible Zn deposition behavior on a Zn metal anode (≥99% of Coulombic efficiency), but also provide high anodic stability (up to ~3.8 V). The predicted anodic stability from DFT calculations is well in accordance with experimental results, and elucidates thatmore » the solvents play an important role in anodic stability of most electrolytes. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were used to understand the solvation structure (e.g., ion solvation and ionic association) and its effect on dynamics and transport properties (e.g., diffusion coefficient and ionic conductivity) of the electrolytes. Lastly, the combination of these techniques provides unprecedented insight into the origin of the electrochemical, structural, and transport properties in nonaqueous zinc electrolytes« less

  12. The potential of incorporation of binary salts and ionic liquid in P(VP-co-VAc) gel polymer electrolyte in electrochemical and photovoltaic performances

    PubMed Central

    Ming, Ng Hon; Ramesh, S.; Ramesh, K.

    2016-01-01

    In this study, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) has been assembled with poly(1-vinylpyrrolidone-co-vinyl acetate) (P(VP-co-VAc)) gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) which have been incorporated with binary salt and an ionic liquid. The potential of this combination was studied and reported. The binary salt system GPEs was having ionic conductivity and power conversion efficiency (PCE) that could reach up to 1.90 × 10−3 S cm−1 and 5.53%, respectively. Interestingly, upon the addition of the ionic liquid, MPII into the binary salt system the ionic conductivity and PCE had risen steadily up to 4.09 × 10−3 S cm−1 and 5.94%, respectively. In order to know more about this phenomenon, the electrochemical impedance studies (EIS) of the GPE samples have been done and reported. Fourier transform infrared studies (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) have also been studied to understand more on the structural and thermal properties of the GPEs. The Nyquist plot and Bodes plot studies have been done in order to understand the electrochemical properties of the GPE based DSSCs and Tafel polarization studies were done to determine the electrocatalytic activity of the GPE samples. PMID:27273020

  13. High-performance supercapacitors based on vertically aligned carbon nanotubes and nonaqueous electrolytes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Byungwoo; Chung, Haegeun; Kim, Woong

    2012-04-01

    We demonstrate the high performance of supercapacitors fabricated with vertically aligned carbon nanotubes and nonaqueous electrolytes such as ionic liquids and conventional organic electrolytes. Specific capacitance, maximum power and energy density of the supercapacitor measured in ionic liquid were ˜75 F g-1, ˜987 kW kg-1 and ˜27 W h kg-1, respectively. The high power performance was consistently indicated by a fast relaxation time constant of 0.2 s. In addition, electrochemical oxidation of the carbon nanotubes improved the specific capacitance (˜158 F g-1) and energy density (˜53 W h kg-1). Both high power and energy density could be attributed to the fast ion transport realized by the alignment of carbon nanotubes and the wide operational voltage defined by the ionic liquid. The demonstrated carbon-nanotube- and nonaqueous-electrolyte-based supercapacitors show great potential for the development of high-performance energy storage devices.

  14. High-performance supercapacitors based on vertically aligned carbon nanotubes and nonaqueous electrolytes.

    PubMed

    Kim, Byungwoo; Chung, Haegeun; Kim, Woong

    2012-04-20

    We demonstrate the high performance of supercapacitors fabricated with vertically aligned carbon nanotubes and nonaqueous electrolytes such as ionic liquids and conventional organic electrolytes. Specific capacitance, maximum power and energy density of the supercapacitor measured in ionic liquid were ~75 F g(-1), ~987 kW kg(-1) and ~27 W h kg(-1), respectively. The high power performance was consistently indicated by a fast relaxation time constant of 0.2 s. In addition, electrochemical oxidation of the carbon nanotubes improved the specific capacitance (~158 F g(-1)) and energy density (~53 W h kg(-1)). Both high power and energy density could be attributed to the fast ion transport realized by the alignment of carbon nanotubes and the wide operational voltage defined by the ionic liquid. The demonstrated carbon-nanotube- and nonaqueous-electrolyte-based supercapacitors show great potential for the development of high-performance energy storage devices. © 2012 IOP Publishing Ltd

  15. Carboxymethylcellulose adsorption on molybdenite: the effect of electrolyte composition on adsorption, bubble-surface collisions, and flotation.

    PubMed

    Kor, Mohammad; Korczyk, Piotr M; Addai-Mensah, Jonas; Krasowska, Marta; Beattie, David A

    2014-10-14

    The adsorption of carboxymethylcellulose polymers on molybdenite was studied using spectroscopic ellipsometry and atomic force microscopy imaging with two polymers of differing degrees of carboxyl group substitution and at three different electrolyte conditions: 1 × 10(-2) M KCl, 2.76 × 10(-2) M KCl, and simulated flotation process water of multicomponent electrolyte content, with an ionic strength close to 2.76 × 10(-2) M. A higher degree of carboxyl substitution in the adsorbing polymer resulted in adsorbed layers that were thinner and with more patchy coverage; increasing the ionic strength of the electrolyte resulted in increased polymer layer thickness and coverage. The use of simulated process water resulted in the largest layer thickness and coverage for both polymers. The effect of the adsorbed polymer layer on bubble-particle attachment was studied with single bubble-surface collision experiments recorded with high-speed video capture and image processing and also with single mineral molybdenite flotation tests. The carboxymethylcellulose polymer with a lower degree of substitution resulted in almost complete prevention of wetting film rupture at the molybdenite surface under all electrolyte conditions. The polymer with a higher degree of substitution prevented rupture only when adsorbed from simulated process water. Molecular kinetic theory was used to quantify the effect of the polymer on the dewetting dynamics for collisions that resulted in wetting film rupture. Flotation experiments confirmed that adsorbed polymer layer properties, through their effect on the dynamics of bubble-particle attachment, are critical to predicting the effectiveness of polymers used to prevent mineral recovery in flotation.

  16. Characterization of chitosan-starch blend based biopolymer electrolyte doped with ammonium nitrate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shaffie, Ahmad Hakimi; Khiar, Azwani Sofia Ahmad

    2018-06-01

    Polymer electrolyte is an ionic conductor formed by dissolving salt in polymer host. In this work, starch/chitosan blend based polymer electrolyte was prepared with different weight percentage of Ammonium Nitrate (NH4NO3) via solution casting technique. The film was characterized by impedance spectroscopy HIOKI 3531- 01 LCR Hi-Tester to measure its ionic conductivity over a wide range of frequency between 50Hz-5MHz and at ambient temperature. Sample with 35 wt% of NH4NO3 shows the highest conductivity of (6.34 ± 1.52) = 10-7 Scm-1. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy were used to correlate the ionic conductivity results.

  17. Engineering the electrochemical capacitive properties of graphene sheets in ionic-liquid electrolytes by correct selection of anions.

    PubMed

    Shi, Minjie; Kou, Shengzhong; Yan, Xingbin

    2014-11-01

    Graphene sheet (GS)-ionic liquid (IL) supercapacitors are receiving intense interest because their specific energy density far exceeds that of GS-aqueous electrolytes supercapacitors. The electrochemical properties of ILs mainly depend on their diverse ions, especially anions. Therefore, identifying suitable IL electrolytes for GSs is currently one of the most important tasks. The electrochemical behavior of GSs in a series of ILs composed of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium cation (EMIM(+)) with different anions is systematically studied. Combined with the formula derivation and building models, it is shown that the viscosity, ion size, and molecular weight of ILs affect the electrical conductivity of ILs, and thus, determine the electrochemical performances of GSs. Because the EMIM-dicyanamide IL has the lowest viscosity, ion size, and molecular weight, GSs in it exhibit the highest specific capacitance, smallest resistance, and best rate capability. In addition, because the tetrafluoroborate anion (BF4(-)) has the best electrochemical stability, the GS-[EMIM][BF4] supercapacitor has the widest potential window, and thus, displays the largest energy density. These results may provide valuable information for selecting appropriate ILs and designing high-performance GS-IL supercapacitors to meet different needs. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  18. Ionic Liquids in Biomass Processing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tan, Suzie Su Yin; Macfarlane, Douglas R.

    Ionic liquids have been studied for their special solvent properties in a wide range of processes, including reactions involving carbohydrates such as cellulose and glucose. Biomass is a widely available and renewable resource that is likely to become an economically viable source of starting materials for chemical and fuel production, especially with the price of petroleum set to increase as supplies are diminished. Biopolymers such as cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin may be converted to useful products, either by direct functionalisation of the polymers or depolymerisation to monomers, followed by microbial or chemical conversion to useful chemicals. Major barriers to the effective conversion of biomass currently include the high crystallinity of cellulose, high reactivity of carbohydrates and lignin, insolubility of cellulose in conventional solvents, as well as heterogeneity in the native lignocellulosic materials and in lignin itself. This combination of factors often results in highly heterogeneous depolymerisation products, which make efficient separation difficult. Thus the extraction, depolymerisation and conversion of biopolymers will require novel reaction systems in order to be both economically attractive and environmentally benign. The solubility of biopolymers in ionic liquids is a major advantage of their use, allowing homogeneous reaction conditions, and this has stimulated a growing research effort in this field. This review examines current research involving the use of ionic liquids in biomass reactions, with perspectives on how it relates to green chemistry, economic viability, and conventional biomass processes.

  19. Highly Conductive Solid-State Hybrid Electrolytes Operating at Subzero Temperatures.

    PubMed

    Kwon, Taeyoung; Choi, Ilyoung; Park, Moon Jeong

    2017-07-19

    We report a unique, highly conductive, dendrite-inhibited, solid-state polymer electrolyte platform that demonstrates excellent battery performance at subzero temperatures. A design based on functionalized inorganic nanoparticles with interconnected mesopores that contain surface nitrile groups is the key to this development. Solid-state hybrid polymer electrolytes based on succinonitrile (SN) electrolytes and porous nanoparticles were fabricated via a simple UV-curing process. SN electrolytes were effectively confined within the mesopores. This stimulated favorable interactions with lithium ions, reduced leakage of SN electrolytes over time, and improved mechanical strength of membranes. Inhibition of lithium dendrite growth and improved electrochemical stability up to 5.2 V were also demonstrated. The hybrid electrolytes exhibited high ionic conductivities of 2 × 10 -3 S cm -1 at room temperature and >10 -4 S cm -1 at subzero temperatures, leading to stable and improved battery performance at subzero temperatures. Li cells made with lithium titanate anodes exhibited stable discharge capacities of 151 mAh g -1 at temperatures below -10 °C. This corresponds to 92% of the capacity achieved at room temperature (164 mAh g -1 ). Our work represents a significant advance in solid-state polymer electrolyte technology and far exceeds the performance available with conventional polymeric battery separators.

  20. Focus Article: Oscillatory and long-range monotonic exponential decays of electrostatic interactions in ionic liquids and other electrolytes: The significance of dielectric permittivity and renormalized charges

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kjellander, Roland

    2018-05-01

    A unified treatment of oscillatory and monotonic exponential decays of interactions in electrolytes is displayed, which highlights the role of dielectric response of the fluid in terms of renormalized (effective) dielectric permittivity and charges. An exact, but physically transparent statistical mechanical formalism is thereby used, which is presented in a systematic, pedagogical manner. Both the oscillatory and monotonic behaviors are given by an equation for the decay length of screened electrostatic interactions that is very similar to the classical expression for the Debye length. The renormalized dielectric permittivities, which have similar roles for electrolytes as the dielectric constant has for pure polar fluids, consist in general of several entities with different physical meanings. They are connected to dielectric response of the fluid on the same length scale as the decay length of the screened interactions. Only in cases where the decay length is very long, these permittivities correspond approximately to a dielectric response in the long-wavelength limit, like the dielectric constant for polar fluids. Experimentally observed long-range exponentially decaying surface forces are analyzed as well as the oscillatory forces observed for short to intermediate surface separations. Both occur in some ionic liquids and in concentrated as well as very dilute electrolyte solutions. The coexisting modes of decay are in general determined by the bulk properties of the fluid and not by the solvation of the surfaces; in the present cases, they are given by the behavior of the screened Coulomb interaction of the bulk fluid. The surface-fluid interactions influence the amplitudes and signs or phases of the different modes of the decay, but not their decay lengths and wavelengths. The similarities between some ionic liquids and very dilute electrolyte solutions as regards both the long-range monotonic and the oscillatory decays are analyzed.

  1. Purely electronic mechanism of electrolyte gating of indium tin oxide thin films

    DOE PAGES

    Leng, X.; Bozovic, I.; Bollinger, A. T.

    2016-08-10

    Epitaxial indium tin oxide films have been grown on both LaAlO 3 and yttria-stabilized zirconia substrates using RF magnetron sputtering. Electrolyte gating causes a large change in the film resistance that occurs immediately after the gate voltage is applied, and shows no hysteresis during the charging/discharging processes. When two devices are patterned next to one another and the first one gated through an electrolyte, the second one shows no changes in conductance, in contrast to what happens in materials (like tungsten oxide) susceptible to ionic electromigration and intercalation. These findings indicate that electrolyte gating in indium tin oxide triggers amore » pure electronic process (electron depletion or accumulation, depending on the polarity of the gate voltage), with no electrochemical reactions involved. Electron accumulation occurs in a very thin layer near the film surface, which becomes highly conductive. These results contribute to our understanding of the electrolyte gating mechanism in complex oxides and may be relevant for applications of electric double layer transistor devices.« less

  2. Independence of the effective dielectric constant of an electrolytic solution on the ionic distribution in the linear Poisson-Nernst-Planck model.

    PubMed

    Alexe-Ionescu, A L; Barbero, G; Lelidis, I

    2014-08-28

    We consider the influence of the spatial dependence of the ions distribution on the effective dielectric constant of an electrolytic solution. We show that in the linear version of the Poisson-Nernst-Planck model, the effective dielectric constant of the solution has to be considered independent of any ionic distribution induced by the external field. This result follows from the fact that, in the linear approximation of the Poisson-Nernst-Planck model, the redistribution of the ions in the solvent due to the external field gives rise to a variation of the dielectric constant that is of the first order in the effective potential, and therefore it has to be neglected in the Poisson's equation that relates the actual electric potential across the electrolytic cell to the bulk density of ions. The analysis is performed in the case where the electrodes are perfectly blocking and the adsorption at the electrodes is negligible, and in the absence of any ion dissociation-recombination effect.

  3. Phenyl boron-based compounds as anion receptors for non-aqueous battery electrolytes

    DOEpatents

    Lee, Hung Sui; Yang, Xiao-Qing; McBreen, James; Sun, Xuehui

    2002-01-01

    Novel fluorinated boronate-based compounds which act as anion receptors in non-aqueous battery electrolytes are provided. When added to non-aqueous battery electrolytes, the fluorinated boronate-based compounds of the invention enhance ionic conductivity and cation transference number of non-aqueous electrolytes. The fluorinated boronate-based anion receptors include different fluorinated alkyl and aryl groups.

  4. Capacitance, charge dynamics, and electrolyte-surface interactions in functionalized carbide-derived carbon electrodes

    DOE PAGES

    Dyatkin, Boris; Mamontov, Eugene; Cook, Kevin M.; ...

    2015-12-24

    Our study analyzed the dynamics of ionic liquid electrolyte inside of defunctionalized, hydrogenated, and aminated pores of carbide-derived carbon supercapacitor electrodes. The approach tailors surface functionalities and tunes nanoporous structures to decouple the influence of pore wall composition on capacitance, ionic resistance, and long-term cyclability. Moreover, quasi-elastic neutron scattering probes the self-diffusion properties and electrode-ion interactions of electrolyte molecules confined in functionalized pores. Room-temperature ionic liquid interactions in confined pores are strongest when the hydrogen-containing groups are present on the surface. This property translates into higher capacitance and greater ion transport through pores during electrochemical cycling. Aminated pores, unlike hydrogenatedmore » pores, do not favorably interact with ionic liquid ions and, subsequently, are outperformed by defunctionalized surfaces.« less

  5. Mechanically Tunable, Readily Processable Ion Gels by Self-Assembly of Block Copolymers in Ionic Liquids.

    PubMed

    Lodge, Timothy P; Ueki, Takeshi

    2016-01-01

    Room temperature ionic liquids are of great interest for many advanced applications, due to the combination of attractive physical properties with essentially unlimited tunability of chemical structure. High chemical and thermal stability, favorable ionic conductivity, and complete nonvolatility are just some of the most important physical characteristics that make ionic liquids promising candidates for emerging technologies. Examples include separation membranes, actuators, polymer gel electrolytes, supercapacitors, ion batteries, fuel cell membranes, sensors, printable plastic electronics, and flexible displays. However, in these and other applications, it is essential to solidify the ionic liquid, while retaining the liquid state properties of interest. A broadly applicable solidification strategy relies on gelation by addition of suitable triblock copolymers with the ABA architecture, producing ion gels or ionogels. In this paradigm, the A end blocks are immiscible with the ionic liquid, and consequently self-assemble into micellar cores, while some fraction of the well-solvated B midblocks bridge between micelles, forming a percolating network. The chemical structures of the A and B repeat units, the molar mass of the blocks, and the concentration of the copolymer in the ionic liquid are all independently tunable to attain desired property combinations. In particular, the modulus of the resulting ion gel can be readily varied between 100 Pa and 1 MPa, with little sacrifice of the transport properties of the ionic liquid, such as ionic conductivity or gas diffusivity. Suitable A blocks can impart thermoreversible gelation (with solidification either on heating or cooling) or even photoreversible gelation. By virtue of the nonvolatility of ionic liquids, a wide range of processing strategies can be employed directly to prepare ion gels in thin or thick film forms, including solvent casting, spin coating, aerosol jet printing, photopatterning, and transfer

  6. Solid composite electrolytes for lithium batteries

    DOEpatents

    Kumar, Binod; Scanlon, Jr., Lawrence G.

    2001-01-01

    Solid composite electrolytes are provided for use in lithium batteries which exhibit moderate to high ionic conductivity at ambient temperatures and low activation energies. In one embodiment, a polymer-ceramic composite electrolyte containing poly(ethylene oxide), lithium tetrafluoroborate and titanium dioxide is provided in the form of an annealed film having a room temperature conductivity of from 10.sup.-5 S cm.sup.-1 to 10.sup.-3 S cm.sup.-1 and an activation energy of about 0.5 eV.

  7. Ionic Liquid-Enhanced Solid State Electrolyte Interface (SEI) for Lithium Sulfur Batteries

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zheng, Jianming; Gu, Meng; Chen, Honghao

    2013-05-16

    Li-S battery is a complicated system with many challenges existing before its final market penetration. While most of the reported work for Li-S batteries is focused on the cathode design, we demonstrate in this work that the anode consumption accelerated by corrosive polysulfide solution also critically determines the Li-S cell performance. To validate this hypothesis, ionic liquid (IL) N-methyl-N-butylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (Py14TFSI) has been employed to modify the properties of SEI layer formed on Li metal surface in Li-S batteries. It is found that the IL-enhanced passivation film on the lithium anode surface exhibits much different morphology and chemical compositions, effectivelymore » protecting lithium metal from continuous attack by soluble polysulfides. Therefore, both cell impedance and the irreversible consumption of polysulfides on lithium metal are reduced. As a result, the Coulombic efficiency and the cycling stability of Li-S batteries have been greatly improved. After 120 cycles, Li-S battery cycled in the electrolyte containing IL demonstrates a high capacity retention of 94.3% at 0.1 C rate. These results unveil another important failure mechanism for Li-S batteries and shin the light on the new approaches to improve Li-S battery performances.« less

  8. A self-regenerable soot sensor with a proton-conductive thin electrolyte and a nanostructured platinum sensing electrode

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lv, Peiling; Ito, Takenori; Oogushi, Akihide; Nakashima, Kensaku; Nagao, Masahiro; Hibino, Takashi

    2016-11-01

    In recent years, exhaust sensors have become increasingly attractive for use in energy and environmental technologies. Important issues regarding practical applications of these sensors, especially for soot measurements, include the further development of ion-conductive electrolytes and active electrode catalysts for meeting performance and durability requirements. Herein, we design a proton conductor with a high breakdown voltage and a sensing electrode with high sensitivity to electrochemical carbon oxidation, enabling continuous soot monitoring with self-regeneration of the sensor. A Si0.97Al0.03HxP2O7-δ layer with an excellent balance between proton conductivity and voltage endurance was grown on the surface of a Si0.97Al0.03O2-δ substrate by reacting it with liquid H3PO4 at 600 °C. Specific reactivity of the electrochemically formed active oxygen toward soot was accomplished by adding a Pt-impregnated Sn0.9In0.1HxP2O7-δ catalyst into a Pt sensing electrode. To make the best use of these optimized materials, a unipolar electrochemical device was fabricated by configuring the sensing and counter electrodes on the same surface of the electrolyte layer. The resulting amperometric mode sensor successfully produced a current signal that corresponded to the quantity of soot.

  9. High energy supercapattery with an ionic liquid solution of LiClO4.

    PubMed

    Yu, Linpo; Chen, George Z

    2016-08-15

    A supercapattery combining an ideally polarized capacitor-like electrode and a battery-like electrode is demonstrated theoretically and practically using an ionic liquid electrolyte containing 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium tri(pentafluoroethyl)trifluorophosphate (BMPyrrFAP), gamma-butyrolactone (γ-GBL) and LiClO4. The electrochemical deposition and dissolution of lithium metal on a platinum and glass carbon electrode were investigated in this ionic liquid solution. The CVs showed that the fresh electrochemically deposited lithium metal was stable in the electrolyte, which encouraged the investigation of this ionic liquid solution in a supercapattery with a lithium battery negative electrode. The active material counted specific energy of the supercapattery based on a lithium negative electrode and an activated carbon (Act-C) positive electrode could reach 230 W h kg(-1) under a galvanostatic charge-discharge current density of 1 mA cm(-2). The positive electrode material (Act-C) was also investigated by CV, AC impedance, SEM and BET. The non-uniform particle size and micropores dominated porous structure of the Act-C enabled its electric double layer capacitor (EDLC) behavior in the ionic liquid solution. The measured specific capacitance of the Act-C in this ionic liquid solution is higher than the same Act-C in aqueous solution, which indicates the Act-C can also perform well in the ionic liquid electrolyte.

  10. Electrode-Electrolyte Interfaces in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries with Liquid or Inorganic Solid Electrolytes.

    PubMed

    Yu, Xingwen; Manthiram, Arumugam

    2017-11-21

    Electrode-electrolyte interfacial properties play a vital role in the cycling performance of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. The issues at an electrode-electrolyte interface include electrochemical and chemical reactions occurring at the interface, formation mechanism of interfacial layers, compositional/structural characteristics of the interfacial layers, ionic transport across the interface, and thermodynamic and kinetic behaviors at the interface. Understanding the above critical issues is paramount for the development of strategies to enhance the overall performance of Li-S batteries. Liquid electrolytes commonly used in Li-S batteries bear resemblance to those employed in traditional lithium-ion batteries, which are generally composed of a lithium salt dissolved in a solvent matrix. However, due to a series of unique features associated with sulfur or polysulfides, ether-based solvents are generally employed in Li-S batteries rather than simply adopting the carbonate-type solvents that are generally used in the traditional Li + -ion batteries. In addition, the electrolytes of Li-S batteries usually comprise an important additive, LiNO 3 . The unique electrolyte components of Li-S batteries do not allow us to directly take the interfacial theories of the traditional Li + -ion batteries and apply them to Li-S batteries. On the other hand, during charging/discharging a Li-S battery, the dissolved polysulfide species migrate through the battery separator and react with the Li anode, which magnifies the complexity of the interfacial problems of Li-S batteries. However, current Li-S battery development paths have primarily been energized by advances in sulfur cathodes. Insight into the electrode-electrolyte interfacial behaviors has relatively been overshadowed. In this Account, we first examine the state-of-the-art contributions in understanding the solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) formed on the Li-metal anode and sulfur cathode in conventional liquid-electrolyte

  11. Electrokinetic behavior of melamine-formaldehyde latex particles at moderate electrolyte concentration.

    PubMed

    Dahlsten, Per; Próchniak, Piotr; Kosmulski, Marek; Rosenholm, Jarl B

    2009-11-15

    The electrokinetic behavior of micrometer-sized melamine-formaldehyde latex particles in 10(-3)-10(-1)M monovalent electrolyte dispersions was investigated by electrophoresis and electroacoustics. Specific adsorption of the electrolytes was identified as a shift of the isoelectric point (pH(iep)) with an increased ionic strength. All salts had an equal dependence on the ionic strength. The pH(iep) was correlated with the anion sequence predicted by the hard-soft acid-base (HSAB) principle, Hofmeister series, and Born charging. The Born and the Hofmeister anion scale were successful in producing a systematic dependency of the isoelectric point (pH(iep)), particularly in high (10(-1)M) and low (10(-3)M) MF electrolyte dispersions. No clear trend could be found for the pH(iep) dependence on the anion HSAB scale.

  12. High elastic modulus polymer electrolytes suitable for preventing thermal runaway in lithium batteries

    DOEpatents

    Mullin, Scott; Panday, Ashoutosh; Balsara, Nitash Pervez; Singh, Mohit; Eitouni, Hany Basam; Gomez, Enrique Daniel

    2014-04-22

    A polymer that combines high ionic conductivity with the structural properties required for Li electrode stability is useful as a solid phase electrolyte for high energy density, high cycle life batteries that do not suffer from failures due to side reactions and dendrite growth on the Li electrodes, and other potential applications. The polymer electrolyte includes a linear block copolymer having a conductive linear polymer block with a molecular weight of at least 5000 Daltons, a structural linear polymer block with an elastic modulus in excess of 1.times.10.sup.7 Pa and an ionic conductivity of at least 1.times.10.sup.-5 Scm.sup.-1. The electrolyte is made under dry conditions to achieve the noted characteristics. In another aspect, the electrolyte exhibits a conductivity drop when the temperature of electrolyte increases over a threshold temperature, thereby providing a shutoff mechanism for preventing thermal runaway in lithium battery cells.

  13. Solid State Ionic Materials - Proceedings of the 4th Asian Conference on Solid State Ionics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chowdari, B. V. R.; Yahaya, M.; Talib, I. A.; Salleh, M. M.

    1994-07-01

    SO4 (X=Si, Ge, Ti) Systems * A DSC and Conductivity Study of the Influence of Cesium Ion on the Beta-Alpha Transition in Silver Iodide * Phase Diagrams, Stoichiometries and Properties of Bi4V2O11:M2+ Solid Electrolytes * Physical Properties of Electrodeposited Silver Chromotungstate * Pseudopotential Study of Bonding in the Superionic Material AgI: The Effect of Statistical Distribution of Mobile Ions * Cubic Phase Dominant Region in Submicron BaTiO3 Particles * The Crystallization of CoZr Amorphous Alloys via Electrical Resistivity * Cation Ratio Related Properties of Synthetic Mg/Al Layered Double Hydroxide and it's Nanocomposite * DC Conductivity of Nano-Particles of Silver Iodide * Effect of Anomalous Diffusion on Quasielastic Scattering in Superionic Conductors * Computer Simulation Study of Conductivity Enhancement in Superionic-Insulator Composites * Dynamics of Superionic Silver and Copper Iodide Salt Melts * Influence of Dopant Salt AgI, Glass Modifier Ag2O and Glass Formers (SeO3 + MoO3) on Electrical Conductivity in Quaternary Glassy System * Fast Ion Conductivity in the Presence of Competitive Network Formers * Role of Alkali Ions in Borate Glasses * Inelastic Light Scattering in Cadmium Borate Glasses * Investigation on Transport Properties of Mixed Glass System 0.75 [0.75AgI:0.25AgCl]. 0.25[Ag2O:CrO3] * Conduction Mechanism in Lithium Tellurite Glasses * Optimized Silver Tungstoarsenate Glass Electrolyte * Stabilized Superfine Zirconia Powder Prepared by Sol-Gel Process * Study of New PAN-based Electrolytes * Electrical and Thermal Characterization of PVA based Polymer Electrolytes * Conductive Electroactive Polymers: Versatile Solid State Ionic Materials * The Role of Ag2O Addition on the Superconducting Properties of Y-124 Compound * Absorption Spectra Studies of the C60 Films on Transition Metal Film Substrates * Effect of Alumina Dispersal on the Conductivity and Crystallite Size of Polymer Electrolyte * New Mixed Galss-Polymer Solid Electrolytes

  14. High performance ultracapacitors with carbon nanomaterials and ionic liquids

    DOEpatents

    Lu, Wen; Henry, Kent Douglas

    2012-10-09

    The present invention is directed to the use of carbon nanotubes and/or electrolyte structures in various electrochemical devices, such as ultracapacitors having an ionic liquid electrolyte. The carbon nanotubes are preferably aligned carbon nanotubes. Compared to randomly entangled carbon nanotubes, aligned carbon nanotubes can have better defined pore structures and higher specific surface areas.

  15. Molecular dynamics simulation of low dielectric constant polymer electrolytes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wheatle, Bill; Lynd, Nathaniel; Ganesan, Venkat

    Recent experimental studies measured the ionic conductivities of a series of poly(glycidyl ether)s with varying neat dielectric constants (ɛ), viscosities (η), and glass transition temperatures (Tg), as hosts for lithium bistrifluoromethanesulfonimide (LiTFSI) salt. In such a context, it was demonstrated that the ionic conductivity of these polymer electrolytes was a function of ɛ rather than Tg or η, suggesting that there may exist regimes in which ionic conductivity is not limited by slow segmental dynamics but rather by low ionic dissociation. Motivated by such results, we used atomistic molecular dynamics to study the structure and transport characteristics of the same set of host polymers. We found that the coordination number of TFSI- about Li+ in the first solvation shell and the total fraction of free ions increased as a function of ɛ, implying the polymer hosts enhanced ion dissociation. In addition, we found that increasing the dielectric constant of the host polymer enhanced self-correlated ion transport, as evidenced by an increase in the diffusion coefficients of each ion species. Overall, we confirmed that limited ion dissociation in low- ɛ polymer electrolyte hosts hampers ionic conductivity. We would like to thank the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program for funding this research endeavor.

  16. Effects of ionic concentration gradient on electroosmotic flow mixing in a microchannel.

    PubMed

    Peng, Ran; Li, Dongqing

    2015-02-15

    Effects of ionic concentration gradient on electroosmotic flow (EOF) mixing of one stream of a high concentration electrolyte solution with a stream of a low concentration electrolyte solution in a microchannel are investigated numerically. The concentration field, flow field and electric field are strongly coupled via concentration dependent zeta potential, dielectric constant and electric conductivity. The results show that the electric field and the flow velocity are non-uniform when the concentration dependence of these parameters is taken into consideration. It is also found that when the ionic concentration of the electrolyte solution is higher than 1M, the electrolyte solution essentially cannot enter the channel due to the extremely low electroosmotic flow mobility. The effects of the concentration dependence of zeta potential, dielectric constant and electric conductivity on electroosmotic flow mixing are studied. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Ion transport with charge-protected and non-charge-protected cations in alcohol-based electrolytes using the compensated Arrhenius formalism. Part I: ionic conductivity and the static dielectric constant.

    PubMed

    Petrowsky, Matt; Fleshman, Allison; Frech, Roger

    2012-05-17

    The temperature dependence of ionic conductivity and the static dielectric constant is examined for 0.30 m TbaTf- or LiTf-1-alcohol solutions. Above ambient temperature, the conductivity increases with temperature to a greater extent in electrolytes whose salt has a charge-protected cation. Below ambient temperature, the dielectric constant changes only slightly with temperature in electrolytes whose salt has a cation that is not charge-protected. The compensated Arrhenius formalism is used to describe the temperature-dependent conductivity in terms of the contributions from both the exponential prefactor σo and Boltzmann factor exp(-Ea/RT). This analysis explains why the conductivity decreases with increasing temperature above 65 °C for the LiTf-dodecanol electrolyte. At higher temperatures, the decrease in the exponential prefactor is greater than the increase in the Boltzmann factor.

  18. Gex-Model Using Local Area Fraction for Binary Electrolyte Systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Haghtalab, Ali; Joda, Marzieh

    2007-06-01

    The correlation and prediction of phase equilibria of electrolyte systems are essential in the design and operation of many industrial processes such as downstream processing in biotechnology, desalination, hydrometallurgy, etc. In this research, the local composition non-random two liquid-nonrandom factor (NRTL-NRF) model of Haghtalab and Vera was extended for uni-univalent aqueous electrolyte solutions. Based on the assumptions of the NRTL-NRF model, excess Gibbs free energy ( g E) functions were derived for binary electrolyte systems. In this work, the local area fraction was applied and the modified model of NRTL-NRF was developed with either an equal or unequal surface area of an anion to the surface area of a cation. The modified NRTL-NRF models consist of two contributions, one due to long-range forces represented by the Debye-Hückel theory, and the other due to short-range forces, represented by local area fractions of species through nonrandom factors. Each model contains only two adjustable parameters per electrolyte. In addition, the model with unequal surface area of ionic species gives better results in comparison with the second new model with equal surface area of ions. The results for the mean activity coefficients for aqueous solutions of uni-univalent electrolytes at 298.15 K showed that the present model is more accurate than the original NRTL-NRF model.

  19. Polymer electrolyte based on crosslinked poly(glycidyl methacrylate) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fei, Beatrice Wong Chui; Hanifah, Sharina Abu; Ahmad, Azizan

    2015-09-25

    Polymer electrolytes based on crosslinked poly(glycidyl methacrylate) as polymer host and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (BmimTFSI) as incorporated salt were prepared by in-situ photopolymerization technique. The complexes with different mass ratio of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) monomer to BmimTFSI were investigated. The ionic conductivity of the polymer electrolyte was increased and reach the highest value of 7.50 × 10{sup −4} S cm{sup −1} at the ratio of 3:7 (GMA: BmimTFSI). The interaction between the polymer host and ionic liquid was proved by Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transformation Infra-Red Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). Meanwhile, the X-ray diffraction analysis shows the amorphousity of the polymer electrolyte film increasemore » with the ionic liquid ratio.« less

  20. Self-Healable and Cold-Resistant Supercapacitor Based on a Multifunctional Hydrogel Electrolyte.

    PubMed

    Tao, Feng; Qin, Liming; Wang, Zhikui; Pan, Qinmin

    2017-05-10

    Excellent self-healability and cold resistance are attractive properties for a portable/wearable energy-storage device. However, achieving the features is fundamentally dependent on an intrinsically self-healable electrolyte with high ionic conduction at low temperature. Here we report such a hydrogel electrolyte comprising sodium alginate cross-linked by dynamic catechol-borate ester bonding. Since its dynamically cross-linked alginate network can tolerate high-content inorganic salts, the electrolyte possesses excellent healing efficiency/cyclability but also high ionic conduction at both room temperature and low temperature. A supercapacitor with the multifunctional hydrogel electrolyte completely restores its capacitive properties even after breaking/healing for 10 cycles without external stimulus. At a low temperature of -10 °C, the capacitor is even able to maintain at least 80% of its room-temperature capacitance. Our investigations offer a strategy to assemble self-healable and cold-resistant energy storage devices by using a multifunctional hydrogel electrolyte with rationally designed polymeric networks, which has potential application in portable/wearable electronics, intelligent apparel or flexible robot, and so on.

  1. NMR Study of Ion Dynamics and Charge Storage in Ionic Liquid Supercapacitors

    PubMed Central

    2015-01-01

    Ionic liquids are emerging as promising new electrolytes for supercapacitors. While their higher operating voltages allow the storage of more energy than organic electrolytes, they cannot currently compete in terms of power performance. More fundamental studies of the mechanism and dynamics of charge storage are required to facilitate the development and application of these materials. Here we demonstrate the application of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to study the structure and dynamics of ionic liquids confined in porous carbon electrodes. The measurements reveal that ionic liquids spontaneously wet the carbon micropores in the absence of any applied potential and that on application of a potential supercapacitor charging takes place by adsorption of counterions and desorption of co-ions from the pores. We find that adsorption and desorption of anions surprisingly plays a more dominant role than that of the cations. Having elucidated the charging mechanism, we go on to study the factors that affect the rate of ionic diffusion in the carbon micropores in an effort to understand supercapacitor charging dynamics. We show that the line shape of the resonance arising from adsorbed ions is a sensitive probe of their effective diffusion rate, which is found to depend on the ionic liquid studied, as well as the presence of any solvent additives. Taken as whole, our NMR measurements allow us to rationalize the power performances of different electrolytes in supercapacitors. PMID:25973552

  2. High-temperature solid electrolyte interphases (SEI) in graphite electrodes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rodrigues, Marco-Tulio F.; Sayed, Farheen N.; Gullapalli, Hemtej; Ajayan, Pulickel M.

    2018-03-01

    Thermal fragility of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) is a major source of performance decay in graphite anodes, and efforts to overcome the issues offered by extreme environments to Li-ion batteries have had limited success. Here, we demonstrate that the SEI can be extensively reinforced by carrying the formation cycles at elevated temperatures. Under these conditions, decomposition of the ionic liquid present in the electrolyte favored the formation of a thicker and more protective layer. Cells in which the solid electrolyte interphase was cast at 90 °C were significantly less prone to self-discharge when exposed to high temperature, with no obvious damages to the formed SEI. This additional resilience was accomplished at the expense of rate capability, as charge transfer became growingly inefficient in these systems. At slower rates, however, cells that underwent SEI formation at 90 °C presented superior performances, as a result of improved Li+ transport through the SEI, and optimal wetting of graphite by the electrolyte. This work analyzes different graphite hosts and ionic liquids, showing that this effect is more pervasive than anticipated, and offering the unique perspective that, for certain systems, temperature can actually be an asset for passivation.

  3. Effects of ionic strength and temperature on the aggregation and deposition of multi-walled carbon nanotubes.

    PubMed

    Wang, Lixin; Yang, Xuezhi; Wang, Qi; Zeng, Yuxuan; Ding, Lei; Jiang, Wei

    2017-01-01

    The aggregation and deposition of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) determines their transport and fate in natural waters. Therefore, the aggregation kinetics of humic-acid treated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (HA-MWCNTs) was investigated by time-resolved dynamic light scattering in NaCl and CaCl 2 electrolyte solutions. Increased ionic strength induced HA-MWCNT aggregation due to the less negative zeta potential and the reduced electrostatic repulsion. The critical coagulation concentration (CCC) values of HA-MWCNTs were 80mmol/L in NaCl and 1.3mmol/L in CaCl 2 electrolyte, showing that Ca 2+ causes more serious aggregation than Na + . The aggregation behavior of HA-MWCNTs was consistent with Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek theory. The deposition kinetics of HA-MWCNTs was measured by the optical absorbance at 800nm. The critical deposition concentrations for HA-MWCNT in NaCl and CaCl 2 solutions were close to the CCC values, therefore the rate of deposition cannot be increased by changing the ionic strength in the diffusion-limited aggregation regime. The deposition process was correlated to the aggregation since larger aggregates increased gravitational deposition and decreased random Brownian diffusion. HA-MWCNTs hydrodynamic diameters were evaluated at 5, 15 and 25°C. Higher temperature caused faster aggregation due to the reduced electrostatic repulsion and increased random Brownian motion and collision frequency. HA-MWCNTs aggregate faster at higher temperature in either NaCl or CaCl 2 electrolyte due to the decreased electrostatic repulsion and increased random Brownian motion. Our results suggest that CNT aggregation and deposition are two correlated processes governed by the electrolyte, and CNT transport is favored at low ionic strength and low temperature. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  4. Study of solid electrolyte layers in I{sub 2}(P2VP)-Li power sources by the galvanostatic pulse technique

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nimon, E.S.; Shirokov, A.V.; Kovynev, N.P.

    1995-04-01

    Transport properties of solid-electrolyte layers (SEL) formed in lithium-iodine batteries were studied by the galvanostatic pulse technique. It was found that the rate of the anodic process at the lithium electrode is determined by the formation of an ionic space charge of lithium cations injected into solid-electrolyte layers. The mobility and concentration of mobile lithium cations in SELs at various depths of discharge of the power source were determined.

  5. Materials Development for All-Solid-State Battery Electrolytes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Weimin

    Solid electrolytes in all solid-state batteries, provide higher attainable energy density and improved safety. Ideal solid electrolytes require high ionic conductivity, a high elastic modulus to prevent dendrite growth, chemical compatibility with electrodes, and ease of fabrication into thin films. Although various materials types, including polymers, ceramics, and composites, are under intense investigation, unifying design principles have not been identified. In this thesis, we study the key ion transport mechanisms in relation to the structural characteristics of polymers and glassy solids, and apply derived material design strategies to develop polymer-silica hybrid materials with improved electrolyte performance characteristics. Poly(ethylene) oxide-based solid electrolytes containing ceramic nanoparticles are attractive alternatives to liquid electrolytes for high-energy density Li batteries. We compare the effect of Li1.3Al0.3Ti 1.7(PO4)3 active nanoparticles, passive TiO 2 nanoparticles and fumed silica. Up to two orders of magnitude enhancement in ionic conductivity is observed for composites with active nanoparticles, attributed to cation migration through a percolating interphase region that develops around the active nanoparticles, even at low nanoparticle loading. We investigate the structural origin of elastic properties and ionic migration mechanisms in sodium borosilicate and sodium borogermanate glass electrolyte system. A new statistical thermodynamic reaction equilibrium model is used in combination with data from nuclear magnetic resonance and Brillouin light scattering measurements to determine network structural unit fractions. The highly coordinated structural units are found to be predominantly responsible for effective mechanical load transmission, by establishing three-dimensional covalent connectivity. A strong correlation exists between bulk modulus and the activation energy for ion conduction. We describe the activated process in

  6. Study on Zinc Oxide-Based Electrolytes in Low-Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells.

    PubMed

    Xia, Chen; Qiao, Zheng; Feng, Chu; Kim, Jung-Sik; Wang, Baoyuan; Zhu, Bin

    2017-12-28

    Semiconducting-ionic conductors have been recently described as excellent electrolyte membranes for low-temperature operation solid oxide fuel cells (LT-SOFCs). In the present work, two new functional materials based on zinc oxide (ZnO)-a legacy material in semiconductors but exceptionally novel to solid state ionics-are developed as membranes in SOFCs for the first time. The proposed ZnO and ZnO-LCP (La/Pr doped CeO₂) electrolytes are respectively sandwiched between two Ni 0.8 Co 0.15 Al 0.05 Li-oxide (NCAL) electrodes to construct fuel cell devices. The assembled ZnO fuel cell demonstrates encouraging power outputs of 158-482 mW cm -2 and high open circuit voltages (OCVs) of 1-1.06 V at 450-550 °C, while the ZnO-LCP cell delivers significantly enhanced performance with maximum power density of 864 mW cm -2 and OCV of 1.07 V at 550 °C. The conductive properties of the materials are investigated. As a consequence, the ZnO electrolyte and ZnO-LCP composite exhibit extraordinary ionic conductivities of 0.09 and 0.156 S cm -1 at 550 °C, respectively, and the proton conductive behavior of ZnO is verified. Furthermore, performance enhancement of the ZnO-LCP cell is studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), which is found to be as a result of the significantly reduced grain boundary and electrode polarization resistances. These findings indicate that ZnO is a highly promising alternative semiconducting-ionic membrane to replace the electrolyte materials for advanced LT-SOFCs, which in turn provides a new strategic pathway for the future development of electrolytes.

  7. Electrochemical energy storage in montmorillonite K10 clay based composite as supercapacitor using ionic liquid electrolyte.

    PubMed

    Maiti, Sandipan; Pramanik, Atin; Chattopadhyay, Shreyasi; De, Goutam; Mahanty, Sourindra

    2016-02-15

    Exploring new electrode materials is the key to realize high performance energy storage devices for effective utilization of renewable energy. Natural clays with layered structure and high surface area are prospective materials for electrical double layer capacitors (EDLC). In this work, a novel hybrid composite based on acid-leached montmorillonite (K10), multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) and manganese dioxide (MnO2) was prepared and its electrochemical properties were investigated by fabricating two-electrode asymmetric supercapacitor cells against activated carbon (AC) using 1.0M tetraethylammonium tetrafluroborate (Et4NBF4) in acetonitrile (AN) as electrolyte. The asymmetric supercapacitors, capable of operating in a wide potential window of 0.0-2.7V, showed a high energy density of 171Whkg(-1) at a power density of ∼1.98kWkg(-1). Such high EDLC performance could possibly be linked to the acid-base interaction of K10 through its surface hydroxyl groups with the tetraethylammonium cation [(C2H5)4N(+) or TEA(+)] of the ionic liquid electrolyte. Even at a very high power density of 96.4kWkg(-1), the cells could still deliver an energy density of 91.1Whkg(-1) exhibiting an outstanding rate capability. The present study demonstrates for the first time, the excellent potential of clay-based composites for high power energy storage device applications. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. High Coulombic efficiency aluminum-ion battery using an AlCl3-urea ionic liquid analog electrolyte.

    PubMed

    Angell, Michael; Pan, Chun-Jern; Rong, Youmin; Yuan, Chunze; Lin, Meng-Chang; Hwang, Bing-Joe; Dai, Hongjie

    2017-01-31

    In recent years, impressive advances in harvesting renewable energy have led to a pressing demand for the complimentary energy storage technology. Here, a high Coulombic efficiency (∼99.7%) Al battery is developed using earth-abundant aluminum as the anode, graphite as the cathode, and a cheap ionic liquid analog electrolyte made from a mixture of AlCl 3 and urea in a 1.3:1 molar ratio. The battery displays discharge voltage plateaus around 1.9 and 1.5 V (average discharge = 1.73 V) and yielded a specific cathode capacity of ∼73 mAh g -1 at a current density of 100 mA g -1 (∼1.4 C). High Coulombic efficiency over a range of charge-discharge rates and stability over ∼150-200 cycles was easily demonstrated. In situ Raman spectroscopy clearly showed chloroaluminate anion intercalation/deintercalation of graphite (positive electrode) during charge-discharge and suggested the formation of a stage 2 graphite intercalation compound when fully charged. Raman spectroscopy and NMR suggested the existence of AlCl 4 - , Al 2 Cl 7 - anions and [AlCl 2 ·(urea) n ] + cations in the AlCl 3 /urea electrolyte when an excess of AlCl 3 was present. Aluminum deposition therefore proceeded through two pathways, one involving Al 2 Cl 7 - anions and the other involving [AlCl 2 ·(urea) n ] + cations. This battery is a promising prospect for a future high-performance, low-cost energy storage device.

  9. Effects of variation in chain length on ternary polymer electrolyte - Ionic liquid mixture - A molecular dynamics simulation study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Raju, S. G.; Hariharan, Krishnan S.; Park, Da-Hye; Kang, HyoRang; Kolake, Subramanya Mayya

    2015-10-01

    Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of ternary polymer electrolyte - ionic liquid mixtures are conducted using an all-atom model. N-alkyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([CnMPy][TFSI], n = 1, 3, 6, 9) and polyethylene oxide (PEO) are used. Microscopic structure, energetics and dynamics of ionic liquid (IL) in these ternary mixtures are studied. Properties of these four pure IL are also calculated and compared to that in ternary mixtures. Interaction between pyrrolidinium cation and TFSI is stronger and there is larger propensity of ion-pair formation in ternary mixtures. Unlike the case in imidazolium IL, near neighbor structural correlation between TFSI reduces with increase in chain length on cation in both pure IL and ternary mixtures. Using spatial density maps, regions where PEO and TFSI interact with pyrrolidinium cation are identified. Oxygens of PEO are above and below the pyrrolidinium ring and away from the bulky alkyl groups whereas TFSI is present close to nitrogen atom of CnMPy. In pure IL, diffusion coefficient (D) of C3MPy is larger than of TFSI but D of C9MPy and C6MPy are larger than that of TFSI. The reasons for alkyl chain dependent phenomena are explored.

  10. Investigation of ionic conduction in PEO-PVDF based blend polymer electrolytes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Patla, Subir Kumar; Ray, Ruma; Asokan, K.; Karmakar, Sanat

    2018-03-01

    We investigate the effect of blend host polymer on solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) films doped with ammonium iodide (NH4I) salt using a variety of experimental techniques. Structural studies on the composite SPEs show that the blending of Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) polymers in a suitable ratio enhances the amorphous fraction of the polymer matrix and facilitates fast ion conduction through it. We observe that the addition of a small amount of PVDF in the PEO host polymer enhances the ion - polymer interaction leading to more ion dissociation. As a result, the effective number of mobile charge carriers within the polymer matrix increases. Systematic investigation in these blend SPEs shows that the maximum conductivity (1.01 × 10-3 S/cm) is obtained for PEO - rich (80 wt. % PEO, 20 wt. % PVDF) composites at 35 wt. % NH4I concentration at room temperature. Interestingly, at higher salt concentrations (above 35 wt. %), the conductivity is found to decrease in this system. The reduction of conductivity at higher salt concentrations is the consequence of decrease in the carrier concentration due to the formation of an ion pair and ion aggregates. PVDF-rich compositions (20 wt. % PEO and 80 wt. % PVDF), on the other hand, show a very complex porous microstructure. We also observe a much lower ionic conductivity (maximum ˜ 10-6 S/cm at 15 wt. % salt) in these composite systems relative to PEO-rich composites.

  11. Frequency-dependent learning achieved using semiconducting polymer/electrolyte composite cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dong, W. S.; Zeng, F.; Lu, S. H.; Liu, A.; Li, X. J.; Pan, F.

    2015-10-01

    Frequency-dependent learning has been achieved using semiconducting polymer/electrolyte composite cells. The cells composed of polymer/electrolyte double layers realized the conventional spike-rate-dependent plasticity (SRDP) learning model. These cells responded to depression upon low-frequency stimulation and to potentiation upon high-frequency stimulation and presented long-term memory. The transition threshold θm from depression to potentiation varied depending on the previous stimulations. A nanostructure resembling a bio-synapse in its transport passages was demonstrated and a random channel model was proposed to describe the ionic kinetics at the polymer/electrolyte interface during and after stimulations with various frequencies, accounting for the observed SRDP.Frequency-dependent learning has been achieved using semiconducting polymer/electrolyte composite cells. The cells composed of polymer/electrolyte double layers realized the conventional spike-rate-dependent plasticity (SRDP) learning model. These cells responded to depression upon low-frequency stimulation and to potentiation upon high-frequency stimulation and presented long-term memory. The transition threshold θm from depression to potentiation varied depending on the previous stimulations. A nanostructure resembling a bio-synapse in its transport passages was demonstrated and a random channel model was proposed to describe the ionic kinetics at the polymer/electrolyte interface during and after stimulations with various frequencies, accounting for the observed SRDP. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr02891d

  12. New insights into the interface between a single-crystalline metal electrode and an extremely pure ionic liquid: slow interfacial processes and the influence of temperature on interfacial dynamics.

    PubMed

    Drüschler, Marcel; Borisenko, Natalia; Wallauer, Jens; Winter, Christian; Huber, Benedikt; Endres, Frank; Roling, Bernhard

    2012-04-21

    Ionic liquids are of high interest for the development of safe electrolytes in modern electrochemical cells, such as batteries, supercapacitors and dye-sensitised solar cells. However, electrochemical applications of ionic liquids are still hindered by the limited understanding of the interface between electrode materials and ionic liquids. In this article, we first review the state of the art in both experiment and theory. Then we illustrate some general trends by taking the interface between the extremely pure ionic liquid 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium tris(pentafluoroethyl)trifluorophosphate and an Au(111) electrode as an example. For the study of this interface, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was combined with in situ STM and in situ AFM techniques. In addition, we present new results for the temperature dependence of the interfacial capacitance and dynamics. Since the interfacial dynamics are characterised by different processes taking place on different time scales, the temperature dependence of the dynamics can only be reliably studied by recording and carefully analysing broadband capacitance spectra. Single-frequency experiments may lead to artefacts in the temperature dependence of the interfacial capacitance. We demonstrate that the fast capacitive process exhibits a Vogel-Fulcher-Tamman temperature dependence, since its time scale is governed by the ionic conductivity of the ionic liquid. In contrast, the slower capacitive process appears to be Arrhenius activated. This suggests that the time scale of this process is determined by a temperature-independent barrier, which may be related to structural reorganisations of the Au surface and/or to charge redistributions in the strongly bound innermost ion layer. This journal is © the Owner Societies 2012

  13. Cryoelectrolysis-electrolytic processes in a frozen physiological saline medium.

    PubMed

    Lugnani, Franco; Macchioro, Matteo; Rubinsky, Boris

    2017-01-01

    Cryoelectrolysis is a new minimally invasive tissue ablation surgical technique that combines the ablation techniques of electrolytic ablation with cryosurgery. The goal of this study is to examine the hypothesis that electrolysis can take place in a frozen aqueous saline solution. To examine the hypothesis we performed a cryoelectrolytic ablation protocol in which electrolysis and cryosurgery are delivered simultaneously in a tissue simulant made of physiological saline gel with a pH dye. We measured current flow, voltage and extents of freezing and pH dye staining. Using optical measurements and measurements of currents, we have shown that electrolysis can occur in frozen physiological saline, at high subzero freezing temperatures, above the eutectic temperature of the frozen salt solution. It was observed that electrolysis occurs when the tissue resides at high subzero temperatures during the freezing stage and essentially throughout the entire thawing stage. We also found that during thawing, the frozen lesion temperature raises rapidly to high subfreezing values and remains at those values throughout the thawing stage. Substantial electrolysis occurs during the thawing stage. Another interesting finding is that electro-osmotic flows affect the process of cryoelectrolysis at the anode and cathode, in different ways. The results showing that electrical current flow and electrolysis occur in frozen saline solutions imply a mechanism involving ionic movement in the fluid concentrated saline solution channels between ice crystals, at high subfreezing temperatures. Temperatures higher than the eutectic are required for the brine to be fluid. The particular pattern of temperature and electrical currents during the thawing stage of frozen tissue, can be explained by the large amounts of energy that must be removed at the outer edge of the frozen lesion because of the solid/liquid phase transformation on that interface. Electrolysis can occur in a frozen domain at high

  14. Apparent Ionic Charge in Electrolyte and Polyelectrolyte Solutions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Magdelenat, H.; And Others

    1978-01-01

    Compares average displacements of charged particles under thermal motion alone with those obtained by the action of an external electric field to develop a concept of "apparent charge" to approximate actual structural charge in an electrolyte solution. (SL)

  15. Electric current-producing device having sulfone-based electrolyte

    DOEpatents

    Angell, Charles Austen; Sun, Xiao-Guang

    2010-11-16

    Electrolytic solvents and applications of such solvents including electric current-producing devices. For example, a solvent can include a sulfone compound of R1--SO2--R2, with R1 being an alkyl group and R2 a partially oxygenated alkyl group, to exhibit high chemical and thermal stability and high oxidation resistance. For another example, a battery can include, between an anode and a cathode, an electrolyte which includes ionic electrolyte salts and a non-aqueous electrolyte solvent which includes a non-symmetrical, non-cyclic sulfone. The sulfone has a formula of R1--SO2--R2, wherein R1 is a linear or branched alkyl or partially or fully fluorinated linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 7 carbon atoms, and R2 is a linear or branched or partially or fully fluorinated linear or branched oxygen containing alkyl group having 1 to 7 carbon atoms. The electrolyte can include an electrolyte co-solvent and an electrolyte additive for protective layer formation.

  16. Ionic liquids and their solid-state analogues as materials for energy generation and storage

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Macfarlane, Douglas R.; Forsyth, Maria; Howlett, Patrick C.; Kar, Mega; Passerini, Stefano; Pringle, Jennifer M.; Ohno, Hiroyuki; Watanabe, Masayoshi; Yan, Feng; Zheng, Wenjun; Zhang, Shiguo; Zhang, Jie

    2016-02-01

    Salts that are liquid at room temperature, now commonly called ionic liquids, have been known for more than 100 years; however, their unique properties have only come to light in the past two decades. In this Review, we examine recent work in which the properties of ionic liquids have enabled important advances to be made in sustainable energy generation and storage. We discuss the use of ionic liquids as media for synthesis of electromaterials, for example, in the preparation of doped carbons, conducting polymers and intercalation electrode materials. Focusing on their intrinsic ionic conductivity, we examine recent reports of ionic liquids used as electrolytes in emerging high-energy-density and low-cost batteries, including Li-ion, Li-O2, Li-S, Na-ion and Al-ion batteries. Similar developments in electrolyte applications in dye-sensitized solar cells, thermo-electrochemical cells, double-layer capacitors and CO2 reduction are also discussed.

  17. Composite Polymer-Garnet Solid State Electrolytes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Villa, Andres; Oduncu, Muhammed R.; Scofield, Gregory D.; Marinero, Ernesto E.; Forbey, Scott

    Solid-state electrolytes provide a potential solution to the safety and reliability issues of Li-ion batteries. We have synthesized cubic-phase Li7-xLa3Zr2-xBixO12 compounds utilizing inexpensive, scalable Sol-gel synthesis and obtained ionic conductivities 1.2 x 10-4 S/cm at RT in not-fully densified pellets. In this work we report on the fabrication of composite polymer-garnet ceramic particle electrolytes to produce flexible membranes that can be integrated with standard battery electrodes without the need for a separator. As a first step we incorporated the ceramic particles into polyethylene oxide polymers (PEO) to form flexible membranes. Early results are encouraging yielding ionic conductivity values 1.0 x 10-5 S/cm at RT. To increment the conductivity in the membranes, we are optimizing amongst other: the ceramic particle size distribution and weight load, the polymer molecular weight and chemical composition and the solvated Li-salt composition and content. Unhindered ion transport across interfaces between the composites and the battery electrode materials is paramount for battery performance. To this end, we are investigating the effect of interface morphology, its atomic composition and exploring novel electrode structures that facilitate ionic transport.

  18. Solid-Liquid Lithium Electrolyte Nanocomposites Derived from Porous Molecular Cages.

    PubMed

    Petronico, Aaron; Moneypenny, Timothy P; Nicolau, Bruno G; Moore, Jeffrey S; Nuzzo, Ralph G; Gewirth, Andrew A

    2018-06-20

    We demonstrate that solid-liquid nanocomposites derived from porous organic cages are effective lithium ion electrolytes at room temperature. A solid-liquid electrolyte nanocomposite (SLEN) fabricated from a LiTFSI/DME electrolyte system and a porous organic cage exhibits ionic conductivity on the order of 1 × 10 -3 S cm -1 . With an experimentally measured activation barrier of 0.16 eV, this composite is characterized as a superionic conductor. Furthermore, the SLEN displays excellent oxidative stability up to 4.7 V vs Li/Li + . This simple three-component system enables the rational design of electrolytes from tunable discrete molecular architectures.

  19. Realisation of an all solid state lithium battery using solid high temperature plastic crystal electrolytes exhibiting liquid like conductivity.

    PubMed

    Shekibi, Youssof; Rüther, Thomas; Huang, Junhua; Hollenkamp, Anthony F

    2012-04-07

    Replacement of volatile and combustible electrolytes in conventional lithium batteries is desirable for two reasons: safety concerns and increase in specific energy. In this work we consider the use of an ionic organic plastic crystal material (IOPC), N-ethyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium tetrafluoroborate, [C2mpyr][BF(4)], as a solid-state electrolyte for lithium battery applications. The effect of inclusion of 1 to 33 mol% lithium tetrafluoroborate, LiBF(4), into [C2mpyr][BF(4)] has been investigated over a wide temperature range by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), impedance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and cycling of full Li|LiFePO(4) batteries. The increases in ionic conductivity by orders of magnitude observed at higher temperature are most likely associated with an increase in Li ion mobility in the highest plastic phase. At concentrations >5 mol% LiBF(4) the ionic conductivity of these solid-state composites is comparable to the ionic conductivity of room temperature ionic liquids. Galvanostatic cycling of Li|Li symmetrical cells showed that the reversibility of the lithium metal redox reaction at the interface of this plastic crystal electrolyte is sufficient for lithium battery applications. For the first time we demonstrate an all solid state lithium battery incorporating solid electrolytes based on IOPC as opposed to conventional flammable organic solvents.

  20. Can ionophobic nanopores enhance the energy storage capacity of electric-double-layer capacitors containing nonaqueous electrolytes?

    DOE PAGES

    Lian, Cheng; Univ. of California, Riverside, CA; Liu, Honglai; ...

    2016-08-22

    The ionophobicity effect of nanoporous electrodes on the capacitance and the energy storage capacity of nonaqueous-electrolyte supercapacitors is studied by means of the classical density functional theory (DFT). It has been hypothesized that ionophobic nanopores may create obstacles in charging, but they store energy much more efficiently than ionophilic pores. In this paper, we find that, for both ionic liquids and organic electrolytes, an ionophobic pore exhibits a charging behavior different from that of an ionophilic pore, and that the capacitance–voltage curve changes from a bell shape to a two-hump camel shape when the pore ionophobicity increases. For electric-double-layer capacitorsmore » containing organic electrolytes, an increase in the ionophobicity of the nanopores leads to a higher capacity for energy storage. Without taking into account the effects of background screening, the DFT predicts that an ionophobic pore containing an ionic liquid does not enhance the supercapacitor performance within the practical voltage ranges. However, by using an effective dielectric constant to account for ion polarizability, the DFT predicts that, like an organic electrolyte, an ionophobic pore with an ionic liquid is also able to increase the energy stored when the electrode voltage is beyond a certain value. We find that the critical voltage for an enhanced capacitance in an ionic liquid is larger than that in an organic electrolyte. Finally, our theoretical predictions provide further understanding of how chemical modification of porous electrodes affects the performance of supercapacitors.« less

  1. Electrowinning process with electrode compartment to avoid contamination of electrolyte

    DOEpatents

    Poa, Davis S.; Pierce, R. Dean; Mulcahey, Thomas P.; Johnson, Gerald K.

    1993-01-01

    An electrolytic process and apparatus for reducing calcium oxide in a molten electrolyte of CaCl.sub.2 -CaF.sub.2 with a graphite anode in which particles or other contamination from the anode is restricted by the use of a porous barrier in the form of a basket surrounding the anode which may be removed from the electrolyte to burn the graphite particles, and wherein the calcium oxide feed is introduced to the anode compartment to increase the oxygen ion concentration at the anode.

  2. Process for electrolytically preparing uranium metal

    DOEpatents

    Haas, Paul A.

    1989-01-01

    A process for making uranium metal from uranium oxide by first fluorinating uranium oxide to form uranium tetrafluoride and next electrolytically reducing the uranium tetrafluoride with a carbon anode to form uranium metal and CF.sub.4. The CF.sub.4 is reused in the fluorination reaction rather than being disposed of as a hazardous waste.

  3. Process for electrolytically preparing uranium metal

    DOEpatents

    Haas, Paul A.

    1989-08-01

    A process for making uranium metal from uranium oxide by first fluorinating uranium oxide to form uranium tetrafluoride and next electrolytically reducing the uranium tetrafluoride with a carbon anode to form uranium metal and CF.sub.4. The CF.sub.4 is reused in the fluorination reaction rather than being disposed of as a hazardous waste.

  4. Improved Performance of Ionic Liquid Supercapacitors by using Tetracyanoborate Anions.

    PubMed

    Martins, Vitor L; Rennie, Anthony J R; Sanchez-Ramirez, Nedher; Torresi, Roberto M; Hall, Peter J

    2018-02-01

    Supercapacitors are energy storage devices designed to operate at higher power densities than conventional batteries, but their energy density is still too low for many applications. Efforts are made to design new electrolytes with wider electrochemical windows than aqueous or conventional organic electrolytes in order to increase energy density. Ionic liquids (ILs) with wide electrochemical stability windows are excellent candidates to be employed as supercapacitor electrolytes. ILs containing tetracyanoborate anions [B(CN) 4 ] offer wider electrochemical stability than conventional electrolytes and maintain a high ionic conductivity (6.9 mS cm -1 ). Herein, we report the use of ILs containing the [B(CN) 4 ] anion for such an application. They presented a high maximum operating voltage of 3.7 V, and two-electrode devices demonstrate high specific capacitances even when operating at relatively high rates (ca. 20 F g -1 @ 15 A g -1 ). This supercapacitor stored more energy and operated at a higher power at all rates studied when compared with cells using a commonly studied ILs.

  5. Improved Performance of Ionic Liquid Supercapacitors by using Tetracyanoborate Anions

    PubMed Central

    Martins, Vitor L.; Rennie, Anthony J. R.; Sanchez‐Ramirez, Nedher; Torresi, Roberto M.; Hall, Peter J.

    2018-01-01

    Abstract Supercapacitors are energy storage devices designed to operate at higher power densities than conventional batteries, but their energy density is still too low for many applications. Efforts are made to design new electrolytes with wider electrochemical windows than aqueous or conventional organic electrolytes in order to increase energy density. Ionic liquids (ILs) with wide electrochemical stability windows are excellent candidates to be employed as supercapacitor electrolytes. ILs containing tetracyanoborate anions [B(CN)4] offer wider electrochemical stability than conventional electrolytes and maintain a high ionic conductivity (6.9 mS cm−1). Herein, we report the use of ILs containing the [B(CN)4] anion for such an application. They presented a high maximum operating voltage of 3.7 V, and two‐electrode devices demonstrate high specific capacitances even when operating at relatively high rates (ca. 20 F g−1 @ 15 A g−1). This supercapacitor stored more energy and operated at a higher power at all rates studied when compared with cells using a commonly studied ILs. PMID:29577008

  6. Kaolinite adsorption-regeneration system for dyestuff treatment by Fenton based processes.

    PubMed

    Rosales, Emilio; Anasie, Delia; Pazos, Marta; Lazar, Iuliana; Sanromán, M Angeles

    2018-05-01

    The regeneration and reuse of adsorbents is a subject of interest nowadays in order to reduce the pollution and the wastes generated in the adsorption wastewater treatment. In this work, the regeneration of the spent kaolinite by different advanced oxidation processes (Fenton, electro-Fenton and electrokinetic-Fenton) was evaluated. Initially, it was confirmed the ability of a low cost clayey material, kaolinite, for the adsorption of model dye such as Rhodamine B showing Freundlich isotherm fitting. Then, the regeneration and consequent degradation of the pollutant in the adsorbent by Fenton based processes was carried out. The role of different parameters affecting the regeneration process (H 2 O 2 :Fe 2+ ratio, liquid:solid ratio) were evaluated. Working at 100:1 H 2 O 2 :Fe 2+ ratio and 30min near complete dye removal (around 97%) from kaolinite was obtained by Fenton treatment. After that, a two-stage treatment for adsorption-regeneration was evaluated during five treatment cycles demonstrating its viability for regeneration of the adsorbent through dye degradation. Based on the successful application of Fenton technique, the improvement of the treatment by electro-Fenton and electrokinetic-Fenton were studied for different solid:liquid ratios achieving satisfactory regeneration values. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Ionic thermoelectric gating organic transistors

    PubMed Central

    Zhao, Dan; Fabiano, Simone; Berggren, Magnus; Crispin, Xavier

    2017-01-01

    Temperature is one of the most important environmental stimuli to record and amplify. While traditional thermoelectric materials are attractive for temperature/heat flow sensing applications, their sensitivity is limited by their low Seebeck coefficient (∼100 μV K−1). Here we take advantage of the large ionic thermoelectric Seebeck coefficient found in polymer electrolytes (∼10,000 μV K−1) to introduce the concept of ionic thermoelectric gating a low-voltage organic transistor. The temperature sensing amplification of such ionic thermoelectric-gated devices is thousands of times superior to that of a single thermoelectric leg in traditional thermopiles. This suggests that ionic thermoelectric sensors offer a way to go beyond the limitations of traditional thermopiles and pyroelectric detectors. These findings pave the way for new infrared-gated electronic circuits with potential applications in photonics, thermography and electronic-skins. PMID:28139738

  8. Synthesis of POSS-based ionic conductors with low glass transition temperatures for efficient solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Wei; Wang, Zhong-Sheng

    2014-07-09

    Replacing liquid-state electrolytes with solid-state electrolytes has been proven to be an effective way to improve the durability of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). We report herein the synthesis of amorphous ionic conductors based on polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) with low glass transition temperatures for solid-state DSSCs. As the ionic conductor is amorphous and in the elastomeric state at the operating temperature of DSSCs, good pore filling in the TiO2 film and good interfacial contact between the solid-state electrolyte and the TiO2 film can be guaranteed. When the POSS-based ionic conductor containing an allyl group is doped with only iodine as the solid-state electrolyte without any other additives, power conversion efficiency of 6.29% has been achieved with good long-term stability under one-sun soaking for 1000 h.

  9. Nitrogen and sulfur co-doped porous graphene aerogel as an efficient electrode material for high performance supercapacitor in ionic liquid electrolyte

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Yujuan; Liu, Zhaoen; Sun, Li; Lu, Zhiwei; Zhuo, Kelei

    2018-06-01

    Nitrogen and sulfur co-doped graphene aerogel (NS-GA) is prepared by one-pot process. The as-prepared materials are investigated as supercapacitors electrodes in an ionic liquid (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, EMIMBF4) electrolyte. The NS-GA is characterized using X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy scanning electron microscopy. The results show that the NS-GA has hierarchical porous structure. Electrochemical performance is investigated by cycle voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge. Notably, the supercapacitor based on the NS-GA-5 possesses a maximum energy density of 100.7 Wh kg-1 at power density of 0.94 kW kg-1. The electrode materials also offer a large specific capacitance of 203.2 F g-1 at a current density of 1 A g-1 and the capacitance retention of NS-GA-5 is 90% after 3000 cycles at a scan rate of 2 A g-1. The NS-GA-5 with numerous advantages including low cost and remarkable electrochemical behaviors can be a promising electrode material for the application of supercapacitors.

  10. A self-regenerable soot sensor with a proton-conductive thin electrolyte and a nanostructured platinum sensing electrode.

    PubMed

    Lv, Peiling; Ito, Takenori; Oogushi, Akihide; Nakashima, Kensaku; Nagao, Masahiro; Hibino, Takashi

    2016-11-18

    In recent years, exhaust sensors have become increasingly attractive for use in energy and environmental technologies. Important issues regarding practical applications of these sensors, especially for soot measurements, include the further development of ion-conductive electrolytes and active electrode catalysts for meeting performance and durability requirements. Herein, we design a proton conductor with a high breakdown voltage and a sensing electrode with high sensitivity to electrochemical carbon oxidation, enabling continuous soot monitoring with self-regeneration of the sensor. A Si 0.97 Al 0.03 H x P 2 O 7-δ layer with an excellent balance between proton conductivity and voltage endurance was grown on the surface of a Si 0.97 Al 0.03 O 2-δ substrate by reacting it with liquid H 3 PO 4 at 600 °C. Specific reactivity of the electrochemically formed active oxygen toward soot was accomplished by adding a Pt-impregnated Sn 0.9 In 0.1 H x P 2 O 7-δ catalyst into a Pt sensing electrode. To make the best use of these optimized materials, a unipolar electrochemical device was fabricated by configuring the sensing and counter electrodes on the same surface of the electrolyte layer. The resulting amperometric mode sensor successfully produced a current signal that corresponded to the quantity of soot.

  11. A self-regenerable soot sensor with a proton-conductive thin electrolyte and a nanostructured platinum sensing electrode

    PubMed Central

    Lv, Peiling; Ito, Takenori; Oogushi, Akihide; Nakashima, Kensaku; Nagao, Masahiro; Hibino, Takashi

    2016-01-01

    In recent years, exhaust sensors have become increasingly attractive for use in energy and environmental technologies. Important issues regarding practical applications of these sensors, especially for soot measurements, include the further development of ion-conductive electrolytes and active electrode catalysts for meeting performance and durability requirements. Herein, we design a proton conductor with a high breakdown voltage and a sensing electrode with high sensitivity to electrochemical carbon oxidation, enabling continuous soot monitoring with self-regeneration of the sensor. A Si0.97Al0.03HxP2O7-δ layer with an excellent balance between proton conductivity and voltage endurance was grown on the surface of a Si0.97Al0.03O2-δ substrate by reacting it with liquid H3PO4 at 600 °C. Specific reactivity of the electrochemically formed active oxygen toward soot was accomplished by adding a Pt-impregnated Sn0.9In0.1HxP2O7-δ catalyst into a Pt sensing electrode. To make the best use of these optimized materials, a unipolar electrochemical device was fabricated by configuring the sensing and counter electrodes on the same surface of the electrolyte layer. The resulting amperometric mode sensor successfully produced a current signal that corresponded to the quantity of soot. PMID:27857193

  12. Nonflammable Perfluoropolyether Electrolytes for Safer Lithiumbased Batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Olson, Kevin Raymond

    The importance of batteries to sustainable energy is widely recognized. Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) not only power handheld electronics but also are increasingly being implemented in electric vehicles and "smart-grid" applications to store energy from intermittent solar and wind sources, making sustainable energy a reality. Unfortunately, LIBs contain a highly flammable solvent and can exhibit catastrophic failure, as was brought to the public's attention by the Boeing 787, Samsung Galaxy Note 7, hoverboard, and Tesla battery fires. Thus, realizing the full potential of LIBs in large-scale systems requires the development of nonflammable electrolytes. Perfluoropolyether (PFPE)-based electrolytes address many of the shortcomings of conventional carbonate-based electrolytes or polymer electrolytes such as poly(ethylene oxide). PFPE-based electrolytes transport lithium more efficiently than conventional electrolytes, which has important implications on long-term battery performance. PFPEs make interesting electrolyte solvents because they are nonflammable, nonvolatile, liquid across a broad temperature range, chemically stable, and interact favorably with the anion of fluorinated salts. In this work, the molecular underpinnings for ion transport in PFPE electrolytes will be established by systematically probing how PFPE structure affects electrolyte performance including ionic conductivity, diffusivity, and transference number. End group polarity, end group concentration, and PFPE molecular weight all have important implications on electrolyte performance.

  13. A high performance flexible all solid state supercapacitor based on the MnO2 sphere coated macro/mesoporous Ni/C electrode and ionic conducting electrolyte.

    PubMed

    Zhi, Jian; Reiser, Oliver; Wang, Youfu; Hu, Aiguo

    2016-06-09

    A high contact resistance between the active materials and the current collector, a low ionic conductivity of the gel electrolyte, and an impenetrable electrode structure are the three major barriers which greatly limit the capacitance of MnO2 in solid state supercapacitors. As a potential solution to these problems, in this work we report a novel electrode for solid state supercapacitors, based on a ternary system composed of hierarchical MnO2 spheres as the active material, macroporous Ni foam as gel penetrable skeletons and an ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) membrane as the charge-transport accelerating layer. By employing butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BMIMCl) modified gels as the ionic conducting electrolyte, the utilization efficiency of MnO2 on the specific capacitance was enhanced up to 88% of the theoretical value, delivering a volumetric capacitance of 81 F cm(-3), which is the highest value among MnO2 based solid state supercapacitors. Moreover, such a flexible device exhibits exceptional volumetric energy and power density (6.6 Wh L(-1) and 549 W L(-1), based on the whole device volume) combined with a small capacity loss of 8.5% after 6000 cycles under twisting. These encouraging findings unambiguously overcome the energy bottleneck of MnO2 in solid state supercapacitors, and open up a new application of macro/mesoporous materials in flexible devices.

  14. Composite gel polymer electrolyte for lithium ion batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Naderi, Roya

    Composite gel polymer electrolyte (CGPE) films, consisting of poly (vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (PVdF-HFP) as the membrane, DMF and PC as solvent and plasticizing agent, mixture of charge modified TiO2 and SiO 2 nano particles as ionic conductors, and LiClO4+LiPF 6 as lithium salts were fabricated. Following the work done by Li et al., CGPE was coated on an O2-plasma treated trilayer polypropylene-polyethylene-polypropylene membrane separator using solution casting technique in order to improve the adhesive properties of gel polymer electrolyte to the separator membrane and its respective ionic conductivity due to decreasing the bulk resistance. In acidic CGPE with, the mixture of acid treated TiO2 and neutral SiO2 nano particles played the role of the charge modified nano fillers with enhanced hydroxyl groups. Likely, the mixture of neutral TiO 2 nano particles with basic SiO2 prepared through the hydrolization of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) provided a more basic environment due to the residues of NH4OH (Ammonium hydroxide) catalyst. The O2 plasma treated separator was coated with the solution of PVDF-HFP: modified nano fillers: Organic solvents with the mixture ratio of 0.1:0.01:1. After the evaporation of the organic solvents, the dried coated separator was soaked in PC-LiClO4+LiPF6 in EC: DMC:DEC (4:2:4 in volume) solution (300% wt. of PVDF-HFP) to form the final CGPE. Lim et al. has reported the enhanced ionic conductivity of 9.78*10-5 Scm-1 in an acidic composite polystyrene-Al2O3 solid electrolyte system with compared to that of basic and neutral in which the ionic conductivity undergoes an ion hopping process in solid interface rather than a segmental movement of ions through the plasticized polymer chain . Half-cells with graphite anode and Li metal as reference electrode were then assembled and the electrochemical measurements and morphology examinations were successfully carried out. Half cells demonstrated a considerable change in their

  15. Dielectric study on mixtures of ionic liquids.

    PubMed

    Thoms, E; Sippel, P; Reuter, D; Weiß, M; Loidl, A; Krohns, S

    2017-08-07

    Ionic liquids are promising candidates for electrolytes in energy-storage systems. We demonstrate that mixing two ionic liquids allows to precisely tune their physical properties, like the dc conductivity. Moreover, these mixtures enable the gradual modification of the fragility parameter, which is believed to be a measure of the complexity of the energy landscape in supercooled liquids. The physical origin of this index is still under debate; therefore, mixing ionic liquids can provide further insights. From the chemical point of view, tuning ionic liquids via mixing is an easy and thus an economic way. For this study, we performed detailed investigations by broadband dielectric spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry on two mixing series of ionic liquids. One series combines an imidazole based with a pyridine based ionic liquid and the other two different anions in an imidazole based ionic liquid. The analysis of the glass-transition temperatures and the thorough evaluations of the measured dielectric permittivity and conductivity spectra reveal that the dynamics in mixtures of ionic liquids are well defined by the fractions of their parent compounds.

  16. Self-doped molecular composite battery electrolytes

    DOEpatents

    Harrup, Mason K.; Wertsching, Alan K.; Stewart, Frederick F.

    2003-04-08

    This invention is in solid polymer-based electrolytes for battery applications. It uses molecular composite technology, coupled with unique preparation techniques to render a self-doped, stabilized electrolyte material suitable for inclusion in both primary and secondary batteries. In particular, a salt is incorporated in a nano-composite material formed by the in situ catalyzed condensation of a ceramic precursor in the presence of a solvated polymer material, utilizing a condensation agent comprised of at least one cation amenable to SPE applications. As such, the counterion in the condensation agent used in the formation of the molecular composite is already present as the electrolyte matrix develops. This procedure effectively decouples the cation loading levels required for maximum ionic conductivity from electrolyte physical properties associated with condensation agent loading levels by utilizing the inverse relationship discovered between condensation agent loading and the time domain of the aging step.

  17. Small quaternary alkyl phosphonium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide ionic liquid electrolytes for sodium-ion batteries with P2- and O3-Na2/3[Fe2/3Mn1/3]O2 cathode material

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hilder, Matthias; Howlett, Patrick C.; Saurel, Damien; Gonzalo, Elena; Armand, Michel; Rojo, Teófilo; Macfarlane, Douglas R.; Forsyth, Maria

    2017-05-01

    A saturated solution of 2.3 M sodium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide in trimethyl iso-butyl phosphonium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide ionic liquid shows a high conductivity (0.94 mScm-1 at 50 °C), low ion association, and a wide operational temperature window (-71 °C-305 °C) making it a promising electrolyte for sodium battery applications. Cycling with P2- and O3-Na2/3[Fe2/3Mn1/3]O2 cathode display excellent performance at 50 °C outperforming conventional organic solvent based electrolytes in terms of capacities (at C/10) and long term cycle stability (at C/2). Post analysis of the electrolyte shows no measurable changes while the sodium metal anode and the cathode surface shows the presence of electrolyte specific elements after cycling, suggesting the formation of a stabilizing solid electrolyte interface. Additionally, cycling changes the topography and particle morphology of the cathode. Thus, the electrolyte properties and cell performance match or outperform previously reported results with the additional benefit of replacing the hazardous and flammable organic solvent solutions commonly employed.

  18. Catalyst regeneration process including metal contaminants removal

    DOEpatents

    Ganguli, Partha S.

    1984-01-01

    Spent catalysts removed from a catalytic hydrogenation process for hydrocarbon feedstocks, and containing undesired metals contaminants deposits, are regenerated. Following solvent washing to remove process oils, the catalyst is treated either with chemicals which form sulfate or oxysulfate compounds with the metals contaminants, or with acids which remove the metal contaminants, such as 5-50 W % sulfuric acid in aqueous solution and 0-10 W % ammonium ion solutions to substantially remove the metals deposits. The acid treating occurs within the temperature range of 60.degree.-250.degree. F. for 5-120 minutes at substantially atmospheric pressure. Carbon deposits are removed from the treated catalyst by carbon burnoff at 800.degree.-900.degree. F. temperature, using 1-6 V % oxygen in an inert gas mixture, after which the regenerated catalyst can be effectively reused in the catalytic process.

  19. Printable polymer actuators from ionic liquid, soluble polyimide, and ubiquitous carbon materials.

    PubMed

    Imaizumi, Satoru; Ohtsuki, Yuto; Yasuda, Tomohiro; Kokubo, Hisashi; Watanabe, Masayoshi

    2013-07-10

    We present here printable high-performance polymer actuators comprising ionic liquid (IL), soluble polyimide, and ubiquitous carbon materials. Polymer electrolytes with high ionic conductivity and reliable mechanical strength are required for high-performance polymer actuators. The developed polymer electrolytes comprised a soluble sulfonated polyimide (SPI) and IL, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide ([C2mim][NTf2]), and they exhibited acceptable ionic conductivity up to 1 × 10(-3) S cm(-1) and favorable mechanical properties (elastic modulus >1 × 10(7) Pa). Polymer actuators based on SPI/[C2mim][NTf2] electrolytes were prepared using inexpensive activated carbon (AC) together with highly electron-conducting carbon such as acetylene black (AB), vapor grown carbon fiber (VGCF), and Ketjen black (KB). The resulting polymer actuators have a trilaminar electric double-layer capacitor structure, consisting of a polymer electrolyte layer sandwiched between carbon electrode layers. Displacement, response speed, and durability of the actuators depended on the combination of carbons. Especially the actuators with mixed AC/KB carbon electrodes exhibited relatively large displacement and high-speed response, and they kept 80% of the initial displacement even after more than 5000 cycles. The generated force of the actuators correlated with the elastic modulus of SPI/[C2mim][NTf2] electrolytes. The displacement of the actuators was proportional to the accumulated electric charge in the electrodes, regardless of carbon materials, and agreed well with the previously proposed displacement model.

  20. Electrolytes and thermoregulation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Nielsen, B.; Greenleaf, J. E.

    1977-01-01

    The influence of ions on temperature is studied for cases where the changes in ionic concentrations are induced by direct infusion or injection of electrolyte solutions into the cerebral ventricles or into specific areas of brain tissue; intravenous infusion or injection; eating food or drinking solutions of different ionic composition; and heat or exercise dehydration. It is shown that introduction of Na(+) and Ca(++) into the cerebral ventricles or into the venous system affects temperature regulation. It appears that the specific action of these ions is different from their osmotic effects. It is unlikely that their action is localized to the thermoregulatory centers in the brain. The infusion experiments demonstrate that the changes in sodium balance occurring during exercise and heat stress are large enough to affect sweat gland function and vasomotor activity.

  1. Solid-State Electrolyte Anchored with a Carboxylated Azo Compound for All-Solid-State Lithium Batteries.

    PubMed

    Luo, Chao; Ji, Xiao; Chen, Ji; Gaskell, Karen J; He, Xinzi; Liang, Yujia; Jiang, Jianjun; Wang, Chunsheng

    2018-05-23

    Organic electrode materials are promising for green and sustainable lithium-ion batteries. However, the high solubility of organic materials in the liquid electrolyte results in the shuttle reaction and fast capacity decay. Herein, azo compounds are firstly applied in all-solid-state lithium batteries (ASSLB) to suppress the dissolution challenge. Due to the high compatibility of azobenzene (AB) based compounds to Li 3 PS 4 (LPS) solid electrolyte, the LPS solid electrolyte is used to prevent the dissolution and shuttle reaction of AB. To maintain the low interface resistance during the large volume change upon cycling, a carboxylate group is added into AB to provide 4-(phenylazo) benzoic acid lithium salt (PBALS), which could bond with LPS solid electrolyte via the ionic bonding between oxygen in PBALS and lithium ion in LPS. The ionic bonding between the active material and solid electrolyte stabilizes the contact interface and enables the stable cycle life of PBALS in ASSLB. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  2. Electrokinetic and hydrodynamic properties of charged-particles systems. From small electrolyte ions to large colloids

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nägele, G.; Heinen, M.; Banchio, A. J.; Contreras-Aburto, C.

    2013-11-01

    Dynamic processes in dispersions of charged spherical particles are of importance both in fundamental science, and in technical and bio-medical applications. There exists a large variety of charged-particles systems, ranging from nanometer-sized electrolyte ions to micron-sized charge-stabilized colloids. We review recent advances in theoretical methods for the calculation of linear transport coefficients in concentrated particulate systems, with the focus on hydrodynamic interactions and electrokinetic effects. Considered transport properties are the dispersion viscosity, self- and collective diffusion coefficients, sedimentation coefficients, and electrophoretic mobilities and conductivities of ionic particle species in an external electric field. Advances by our group are also discussed, including a novel mode-coupling-theory method for conduction-diffusion and viscoelastic properties of strong electrolyte solutions. Furthermore, results are presented for dispersions of solvent-permeable particles, and particles with non-zero hydrodynamic surface slip. The concentration-dependent swelling of ionic microgels is discussed, as well as a far-reaching dynamic scaling behavior relating colloidal long- to short-time dynamics.

  3. Temperature dependent dielectric properties and ion transportation in solid polymer electrolyte for lithium ion batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sengwa, R. J.; Dhatarwal, Priyanka; Choudhary, Shobhna

    2016-05-01

    Solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) film consisted of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) blend matrix with lithium tetrafluroborate (LiBF4) as dopant ionic salt and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as plasticizer has been prepared by solution casting method followed by melt pressing. Dielectric properties and ionic conductivity of the SPE film at different temperatures have been determined by dielectric relaxation spectroscopy. It has been observed that the dc ionic conductivity of the SPE film increases with increase of temperature and also the decrease of relaxation time. The temperature dependent relaxation time and ionic conductivity values of the electrolyte are governed by the Arrhenius relation. Correlation observed between dc conductivity and relaxation time confirms that ion transportation occurs with polymer chain segmental dynamics through hopping mechanism. The room temperature ionic conductivity is found to be 4 × 10-6 S cm-1 which suggests the suitability of the SPE film for rechargeable lithium batteries.

  4. Temperature dependent dielectric properties and ion transportation in solid polymer electrolyte for lithium ion batteries

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sengwa, R. J., E-mail: rjsengwa@rediffmail.com; Dhatarwal, Priyanka, E-mail: dhatarwalpriyanka@gmail.com; Choudhary, Shobhna, E-mail: shobhnachoudhary@rediffmail.com

    2016-05-06

    Solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) film consisted of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) blend matrix with lithium tetrafluroborate (LiBF{sub 4}) as dopant ionic salt and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as plasticizer has been prepared by solution casting method followed by melt pressing. Dielectric properties and ionic conductivity of the SPE film at different temperatures have been determined by dielectric relaxation spectroscopy. It has been observed that the dc ionic conductivity of the SPE film increases with increase of temperature and also the decrease of relaxation time. The temperature dependent relaxation time and ionic conductivity values of the electrolyte are governedmore » by the Arrhenius relation. Correlation observed between dc conductivity and relaxation time confirms that ion transportation occurs with polymer chain segmental dynamics through hopping mechanism. The room temperature ionic conductivity is found to be 4 × 10{sup −6} S cm{sup −1} which suggests the suitability of the SPE film for rechargeable lithium batteries.« less

  5. Simulation of Ionic Aggregation and Ion Dynamics in Model Ionomers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Frischknecht, Amalie L.

    2012-02-01

    Ionomers, polymers containing a small fraction of covalently bound ionic groups, are of interest as possible electrolytes in batteries. A single-ion conducting polymer electrolyte would be safer and have higher efficiency than the currently-used liquid electrolytes. However, to date ionomeric materials do not have sufficiently high conductivities for practical application. This is most likely because the ions tend to form aggregates, leading to slow ion transport. A key question is therefore how molecular structure affects the ionic aggregation and ion dynamics. To probe these structure-property relationships, we have performed molecular simulations of a set of recently synthesized poly(ethylene-co-acrylic acid) copolymers and ionomers, with a focus on the morphology of the ionic aggregates. The ionomers have a precise, constant spacing of charged groups, making them ideal for direct comparisons with simulations. Ab initio calculations give insight into the expected coordination of cations with fragments of the ionomers. All-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the ionomer melt show aggregation of the ionic groups into extended string-like clusters. An extensive set of coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations extend the results to longer times and larger length scales. The structure factors calculated from the MD simulations compare favorably with x-ray scattering data. Furthermore, the simulations give a detailed picture of the sizes, shapes, and composition of the ionic aggregates, and how they depend on polymer architecture. Implications for ion transport will be discussed. [Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

  6. Electrolyte chemistry control in electrodialysis processing

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hayes, Thomas D.; Severin, Blaine F.

    Methods for controlling electrolyte chemistry in electrodialysis units having an anode and a cathode each in an electrolyte of a selected concentration and a membrane stack disposed therebetween. The membrane stack includes pairs of cationic selective and anionic membranes to segregate increasingly dilute salts streams from concentrated salts stream. Electrolyte chemistry control is via use of at least one of following techniques: a single calcium exclusionary cationic selective membrane at a cathode cell boundary, an exclusionary membrane configured as a hydraulically isolated scavenger cell, a multivalent scavenger co-electrolyte and combinations thereof.

  7. Novel Molecular Architectures Developed for Improved Solid Polymer Electrolytes for Lithium Polymer Batteries

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Meador, Mary Ann B.; Kinder, James D.; Bennett, William R.

    2002-01-01

    Lithium-based polymer batteries for aerospace applications need the ability to operate in temperatures ranging from -70 to 70 C. Current state-of-the-art solid polymer electrolytes (based on amorphous polyethylene oxide, PEO) have acceptable ionic conductivities (10-4 to 10-3 S/cm) only above 60 C. Higher conductivity can be achieved in the current systems by adding solvent or plasticizers to the solid polymer to improve ion transport. However, this can compromise the dimensional and thermal stability of the electrolyte, as well as compatibility with electrode materials. One of NASA Glenn Research Center's objectives in the PERS program is to develop new electrolytes having unique molecular architectures and/or novel ion transport mechanisms, leading to good ionic conductivity at room temperature and below without solvents or plasticizers.

  8. Inorganic-organic electrolyte materials for energy applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fei, Shih-To

    This thesis research is devoted to the development of phosphazene-based electrolyte materials for use in various energy applications. Phosphazenes are inorganic-organic materials that provide unusal synthetic advantages and unique process features that make them useful in energy research. This particular thesis consists of six chapters and is focused on four specific aspects: lithium battery, solar cell, and fuel cell electrolytes, and artificial muscles. Chapter 1 is written as an introduction and review of phosphazene electrolytes used in energy applications. In this introduction the basic history and characteristics of the phosphazenes are discussed briefly, followed by examples of current and future applications of phosphazene electrolytes related to energy. Notes are included on how the rest of the chapters relate to previous work. Chapters 2 and 3 discuss the conductivity and fire safety of ethyleneoxy phosphazene gel electrolytes. The current highly flammable configurations for rechargeable lithium batteries generate serious safety concerns. Although commercial fire retardant additives have been investigated, they tend to decrease the overall efficiency of the battery. In these two chapters the discussion is focused on ionically conductive, non-halogenated lithium battery additives based on a methoxyethoxyethoxyphosphazene oligomer and the corresponding high polymer, both of which can increase the fire resistance of a battery while retaining a high energy efficiency. Conductivities in the range of 10 -4 Scm-1 have been obtained for self-extinguishing, ion-conductive methoxyethoxyethoxyphosphazene oligomers. The addition of 25 wt% high polymeric poly[bis(methoxyethoxyethoxy)phosphazene] to propylene carbonate electrolytes lowers the flammability by 90% while maintaining a good ionic conductivity of 2.5x10--3 Scm -1 Chapter 2 is focused more on the electrochemical properties of the electrolytes and how they compare to other similar materials, while Chapter 3

  9. High Coulombic efficiency aluminum-ion battery using an AlCl3-urea ionic liquid analog electrolyte

    PubMed Central

    Angell, Michael; Pan, Chun-Jern; Rong, Youmin; Yuan, Chunze; Lin, Meng-Chang; Hwang, Bing-Joe; Dai, Hongjie

    2017-01-01

    In recent years, impressive advances in harvesting renewable energy have led to a pressing demand for the complimentary energy storage technology. Here, a high Coulombic efficiency (∼99.7%) Al battery is developed using earth-abundant aluminum as the anode, graphite as the cathode, and a cheap ionic liquid analog electrolyte made from a mixture of AlCl3 and urea in a 1.3:1 molar ratio. The battery displays discharge voltage plateaus around 1.9 and 1.5 V (average discharge = 1.73 V) and yielded a specific cathode capacity of ∼73 mAh g−1 at a current density of 100 mA g−1 (∼1.4 C). High Coulombic efficiency over a range of charge–discharge rates and stability over ∼150–200 cycles was easily demonstrated. In situ Raman spectroscopy clearly showed chloroaluminate anion intercalation/deintercalation of graphite (positive electrode) during charge–discharge and suggested the formation of a stage 2 graphite intercalation compound when fully charged. Raman spectroscopy and NMR suggested the existence of AlCl4−, Al2Cl7− anions and [AlCl2·(urea)n]+ cations in the AlCl3/urea electrolyte when an excess of AlCl3 was present. Aluminum deposition therefore proceeded through two pathways, one involving Al2Cl7− anions and the other involving [AlCl2·(urea)n]+ cations. This battery is a promising prospect for a future high-performance, low-cost energy storage device. PMID:28096353

  10. Synthesis and Characterization of Cellulose-Based Hydrogels to Be Used as Gel Electrolytes

    PubMed Central

    Navarra, Maria Assunta; Dal Bosco, Chiara; Serra Moreno, Judith; Vitucci, Francesco Maria; Paolone, Annalisa; Panero, Stefania

    2015-01-01

    Cellulose-based hydrogels, obtained by tuned, low-cost synthetic routes, are proposed as convenient gel electrolyte membranes. Hydrogels have been prepared from different types of cellulose by optimized solubilization and crosslinking steps. The obtained gel membranes have been characterized by infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and mechanical tests in order to investigate the crosslinking occurrence and modifications of cellulose resulting from the synthetic process, morphology of the hydrogels, their thermal stability, and viscoelastic-extensional properties, respectively. Hydrogels liquid uptake capability and ionic conductivity, derived from absorption of aqueous electrolytic solutions, have been evaluated, to assess the successful applicability of the proposed membranes as gel electrolytes for electrochemical devices. To this purpose, the redox behavior of electroactive species entrapped into the hydrogels has been investigated by cyclic voltammetry tests, revealing very high reversibility and ion diffusivity. PMID:26633528

  11. Ionic Liquids in HPLC and CE: A Hope for Future.

    PubMed

    Ali, Imran; Suhail, Mohd; Sanagi, Mohd Marsin; Aboul-Enein, Hassan Y

    2017-07-04

    The ionic liquids (ILs) are salts with melting points below 100°C. These are called as ionic fluids, ionic melts, liquid electrolytes, fused salts, liquid salts, ionic glasses, designer solvents, green solvents and solvents of the future. These have a wide range of applications, including medical, pharmaceutical and chemical sciences. Nowadays, their use is increasing greatly in separation science, especially in chromatography and capillary electrophoresis due to their remarkable properties. The present article describes the importance of ILs in high-performance liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis. Efforts were also made to highlight the future expectations of ILs.

  12. Ion Conduction in Microphase-Separated Block Copolymer Electrolytes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kambe, Yu; Arges, Christopher G.; Patel, Shrayesh

    2017-01-01

    Microphase separation of block copolymers provides a promising route towards engineering a mechanically robust ion conducting film for electrochemical devices. The separation into two different nano-domains enables the film to simultaneously exhibit both high ion conductivity and mechanical robustness, material properties inversely related in most homopolymer and random copolymer electrolytes. To exhibit the maximum conductivity and mechanical robustness, both domains would span across macroscopic length scales enabling uninterrupted ion conduction. One way to achieve this architecture is through external alignment fields that are applied during the microphase separation process. In this review, we present the progress and challenges for aligningmore » the ionic domains in block copolymer electrolytes. A survey of alignment and characterization is followed by a discussion of how the nanoscale architecture affects the bulk conductivity and how alignment may be improved to maximize the number of participating conduction domains.« less

  13. Superior Conductive Solid-like Electrolytes: Nanoconfining Liquids within the Hollow Structures

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhang, Jinshui; Bai, Ying; Sun, Xiao-Guang

    2015-01-01

    The growth and proliferation of lithium (Li) dendrites during cell recharge is unavoidable, which seriously hinders the development and application of rechargeable Li metal batteries. Solid electrolytes with robust mechanical modulus are regarded as a promising approach to overcome the dendrite problems. However, their room-temperature ionic conductivities are usually too low to reach the level required for normal battery operation. Here, a class of novel solid electrolytes with liquid-like room-temperature ionic conductivities (> 1 mS cm-1) has been successfully synthesized by taking advantage of the unique nanoarchitectures of hollow silica (HS) spheres to confine liquid electrolytes in hollow space tomore » afford high conductivities. In a symmetric lithium/lithium cell, such kind of solid-like electrolytes demonstrates a robust performance against Li dendrite problems, well stabilizing the cell system from short circuiting in a long-time operation at current densities ranging from 0.16 to 0.32 mA cm-2. Moreover, the high flexibility and compatibility of HS nanoarchitectures, in principle, enables broad tunability to choose desired liquids for the fabrication of other kinds of solid-like electrolytes, such as those containing Na+, Mg2+ or Al3+ as conductive media, providing a useful alternative strategy for the development of next generation rechargeable batteries.« less

  14. Hybrid electrolytes for lithium metal batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Keller, Marlou; Varzi, Alberto; Passerini, Stefano

    2018-07-01

    This perspective article discusses the most recent developments in the field of hybrid electrolytes, here referred to electrolytes composed of two, well-defined ion-conducting phases, for high energy density lithium metal batteries. The two phases can be both solid, as e.g., two inorganic conductors or one inorganic and one polymer conductor, or, differently, one liquid and one inorganic conductor. In this latter case, they are referred as quasi-solid hybrid electrolytes. Techniques for the appropriate characterization of hybrid electrolytes are discussed emphasizing the importance of ionic conduction and interfacial properties. On this view, multilayer systems are also discussed in more detail. Investigations on Lewis acid-base interactions, activation energies for lithium-ion transfer between the phases, and the formation of an interphase between the components are reviewed and analyzed. The application of different hybrid electrolytes in lithium metal cells with various cathode compositions is also discussed. Fabrication methods for the feasibility of large-scale applications are briefly analyzed and different cell designs and configurations, which are most suitable for the integration of hybrid electrolytes, are determined. Finally, the specific energy of cells containing different hybrid electrolytes is estimated to predict possible enhancement in energy with respect to the current lithium-ion battery technology.

  15. High Performance Solid Polymer Electrolytes for Rechargeable Batteries: A Self-Catalyzed Strategy toward Facile Synthesis.

    PubMed

    Cui, Yanyan; Liang, Xinmiao; Chai, Jingchao; Cui, Zili; Wang, Qinglei; He, Weisheng; Liu, Xiaochen; Liu, Zhihong; Cui, Guanglei; Feng, Jiwen

    2017-11-01

    It is urgent to seek high performance solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) via a facile chemistry and simple process. The lithium salts are composed of complex anions that are stabilized by a Lewis acid agent. This Lewis acid can initiate the ring opening polymerization. Herein, a self-catalyzed strategy toward facile synthesis of crosslinked poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether-based solid polymer electrolyte (C-PEGDE) is presented. It is manifested that the poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether-based solid polymer electrolyte possesses a superior electrochemical stability window up to 4.5 V versus Li/Li + and considerable ionic conductivity of 8.9 × 10 -5 S cm -1 at ambient temperature. Moreover, the LiFePO 4 /C-PEGDE/Li batteries deliver stable charge/discharge profiles and considerable rate capability. It is demonstrated that this self-catalyzed strategy can be a very effective approach for high performance solid polymer electrolytes.

  16. High-energy supercapacitors based on hierarchical porous carbon with an ultrahigh ion-accessible surface area in ionic liquid electrolytes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhong, Hui; Xu, Fei; Li, Zenghui; Fu, Ruowen; Wu, Dingcai

    2013-05-01

    A very important yet really challenging issue to address is how to greatly increase the energy density of supercapacitors to approach or even exceed those of batteries without sacrificing the power density. Herein we report the fabrication of a new class of ultrahigh surface area hierarchical porous carbon (UHSA-HPC) based on the pore formation and widening of polystyrene-derived HPC by KOH activation, and highlight its superior ability for energy storage in supercapacitors with ionic liquid (IL) as electrolyte. The UHSA-HPC with a surface area of more than 3000 m2 g-1 shows an extremely high energy density, i.e., 118 W h kg-1 at a power density of 100 W kg-1. This is ascribed to its unique hierarchical nanonetwork structure with a large number of small-sized nanopores for IL storage and an ideal meso-/macroporous network for IL transfer.A very important yet really challenging issue to address is how to greatly increase the energy density of supercapacitors to approach or even exceed those of batteries without sacrificing the power density. Herein we report the fabrication of a new class of ultrahigh surface area hierarchical porous carbon (UHSA-HPC) based on the pore formation and widening of polystyrene-derived HPC by KOH activation, and highlight its superior ability for energy storage in supercapacitors with ionic liquid (IL) as electrolyte. The UHSA-HPC with a surface area of more than 3000 m2 g-1 shows an extremely high energy density, i.e., 118 W h kg-1 at a power density of 100 W kg-1. This is ascribed to its unique hierarchical nanonetwork structure with a large number of small-sized nanopores for IL storage and an ideal meso-/macroporous network for IL transfer. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Sample preparation, material characterization, electrochemical characterization and specific mass capacitance and energy density. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr00738c

  17. Specialist gelator for ionic liquids.

    PubMed

    Hanabusa, Kenji; Fukui, Hiroaki; Suzuki, Masahiro; Shirai, Hirofusa

    2005-11-08

    Cyclo(l-beta-3,7-dimethyloctylasparaginyl-L-phenylalanyl) (1) and cyclo(L-beta-2-ethylhexylasparaginyl-L-phenylalanyl) (2), prepared from L-asparaginyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester, have been found to be specialist gelators for ionic liquids. They can gel a wide variety of ionic liquids, including imizazolium, pyridinium, pyrazolidinium, piperidinium, morpholinium, and ammonium salts. The mean minimum gel concentrations (MGCs) necessary to make gels at 25 degrees C were determined for ionic liquids. The gel strength increased at a rate nearly proportional to the concentration of added gelator. The strength of the transparent gel of 1-butylpyridinium tetrafluoroborate ([C(4)py]BF(4)), prepared at a concentration of 60 g L(-1) (gelator 1/[C(4)py]BF(4)), was ca. 1500 g cm(-2). FT-IR spectroscopy indicated that a driving force for gelation was intermolecular hydrogen bonding between amides and that the phase transition from gel to liquid upon heating was brought about by the collapse of hydrogen bonding. The gels formed from ionic liquids were very thermally stable; no melting occurs up to 140 degrees C when the gels were prepared at a concentration of 70 g L(-1) (gelator/ionic liquid). The ionic conductivities of the gels were nearly the same as those of pure ionic liquids. The gelator had electrochemical stability and a wide electrochemical window. When the gels were prepared from ionic liquids containing propylene carbonate, the ionic conductivities of the resulting gels increased to levels rather higher than those of pure ionic liquids. The gelators also gelled ionic liquids containing supporting electrolytes.

  18. Pollination and seed dispersal are the most threatened processes of plant regeneration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Neuschulz, Eike Lena; Mueller, Thomas; Schleuning, Matthias; Böhning-Gaese, Katrin

    2016-07-01

    Plant regeneration is essential for maintaining forest biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, which are globally threatened by human disturbance. Here we present the first integrative meta-analysis on how forest disturbance affects multiple ecological processes of plant regeneration including pollination, seed dispersal, seed predation, recruitment and herbivory. We analysed 408 pairwise comparisons of these processes between near-natural and disturbed forests. Human impacts overall reduced plant regeneration. Importantly, only processes early in the regeneration cycle that often depend on plant-animal interactions, i.e. pollination and seed dispersal, were negatively affected. Later processes, i.e. seed predation, recruitment and herbivory, showed overall no significant response to human disturbance. Conserving pollination and seed dispersal, including the animals that provide these services to plants, should become a priority in forest conservation efforts globally.

  19. Theory and simulation of electrolyte mixtures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, B. Hribar; Vlachy, V.; Bhuiyan, L. B.; Outhwaite, C. W.; Molero, M.

    Monte Carlo simulation and theoretical results on some aspects of thermodynamics of mixtures of electrolytes with a common species are presented. Both charge symmetric mixtures, where ions differ only in size, and charge asymmetric but size symmetric mixtures at ionic strength ranging generally from I = 10-4 to 1.0 M, and in a few cases up to I = M, are examined. The theoretical methods explored are: (i) the symmetric Poisson-Boltzmann theory, (ii) the modified Poisson-Boltzmann theory and (iii) the hypernetted-chain integral equation. The first two electrolyte mixing coefficients w0 and w1 of the various mixtures are calculated from an accurate determination of their osmotic pressure data. The theories are seen to be consistent among themselves, and with certain limiting laws in the literature, in predicting the trends of the mixing coefficients with respect to ionic strength. Some selected relevant experimental data have been analysed and compared with the theoretical and simulation trends. In addition the mean activity coefficients for a model mimicking the mixture of KCl and KF electrolytes are calculated and hence the Harned coefficients obtained for this system. These calculations are compared with the experimental data and Monte Carlo results available in the literature. The theoretically predicted Harned coefficients are in good agreement with the simulation results for the model KCl-KF mixture.

  20. Structure formation and surface chemistry of ionic liquids on model electrode surfaces—Model studies for the electrode | electrolyte interface in Li-ion batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Buchner, Florian; Uhl, Benedikt; Forster-Tonigold, Katrin; Bansmann, Joachim; Groß, Axel; Behm, R. Jürgen

    2018-05-01

    Ionic liquids (ILs) are considered as attractive electrolyte solvents in modern battery concepts such as Li-ion batteries. Here we present a comprehensive review of the results of previous model studies on the interaction of the battery relevant IL 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([BMP]+[TFSI]-) with a series of structurally and chemically well-defined model electrode surfaces, which are increasingly complex and relevant for battery applications [Ag(111), Au(111), Cu(111), pristine and lithiated highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG), and rutile TiO2(110)]. Combining surface science techniques such as high resolution scanning tunneling microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for characterizing surface structure and chemical composition in deposited (sub-)monolayer adlayers with dispersion corrected density functional theory based calculations, this work aims at a molecular scale understanding of the fundamental processes at the electrode | electrolyte interface, which are crucial for the development of the so-called solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer in batteries. Performed under idealized conditions, in an ultrahigh vacuum environment, these model studies provide detailed insights on the structure formation in the adlayer, the substrate-adsorbate and adsorbate-adsorbate interactions responsible for this, and the tendency for chemically induced decomposition of the IL. To mimic the situation in an electrolyte, we also investigated the interaction of adsorbed IL (sub-)monolayers with coadsorbed lithium. Even at 80 K, postdeposited Li is found to react with the IL, leading to decomposition products such as LiF, Li3N, Li2S, LixSOy, and Li2O. In the absence of a [BMP]+[TFSI]- adlayer, it tends to adsorb, dissolve, or intercalate into the substrate (metals, HOPG) or to react with the substrate (TiO2) above a critical temperature, forming LiOx and Ti3+ species in the latter case. Finally, the formation of stable

  1. Nanoscale Solid State Batteries Enabled by Thermal Atomic Layer Deposition of a Lithium Polyphosphazene Solid State Electrolyte

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pearse, Alexander J.; Schmitt, Thomas E.; Fuller, Elliot J.

    Several active areas of research in novel energy storage technologies, including three-dimensional solid state batteries and passivation coatings for reactive battery electrode components, require conformal solid state electrolytes. We describe an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process for a member of the lithium phosphorus oxynitride (LiPON) family, which is employed as a thin film lithium-conducting solid electrolyte. The reaction between lithium tert-butoxide (LiO tBu) and diethyl phosphoramidate (DEPA) produces conformal, ionically conductive thin films with a stoichiometry close to Li 2PO 2N between 250 and 300°C. The P/N ratio of the films is always 1, indicative of a particular polymorph ofmore » LiPON which closely resembles a polyphosphazene. Films grown at 300°C have an ionic conductivity of (6.51 ± 0.36)×10 -7 S/cm at 35°C, and are functionally electrochemically stable in the window from 0 to 5.3V vs. Li/Li +. We demonstrate the viability of the ALD-grown electrolyte by integrating it into full solid state batteries, including thin film devices using LiCoO 2 as the cathode and Si as the anode operating at up to 1 mA/cm 2. The high quality of the ALD growth process allows pinhole-free deposition even on rough crystalline surfaces, and we demonstrate the fabrication and operation of thin film batteries with the thinnest (<40nm) solid state electrolytes yet reported. Finally, we show an additional application of the moderate-temperature ALD process by demonstrating a flexible solid state battery fabricated on a polymer substrate.« less

  2. Nanoscale Solid State Batteries Enabled by Thermal Atomic Layer Deposition of a Lithium Polyphosphazene Solid State Electrolyte

    DOE PAGES

    Pearse, Alexander J.; Schmitt, Thomas E.; Fuller, Elliot J.; ...

    2017-04-10

    Several active areas of research in novel energy storage technologies, including three-dimensional solid state batteries and passivation coatings for reactive battery electrode components, require conformal solid state electrolytes. We describe an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process for a member of the lithium phosphorus oxynitride (LiPON) family, which is employed as a thin film lithium-conducting solid electrolyte. The reaction between lithium tert-butoxide (LiO tBu) and diethyl phosphoramidate (DEPA) produces conformal, ionically conductive thin films with a stoichiometry close to Li 2PO 2N between 250 and 300°C. The P/N ratio of the films is always 1, indicative of a particular polymorph ofmore » LiPON which closely resembles a polyphosphazene. Films grown at 300°C have an ionic conductivity of (6.51 ± 0.36)×10 -7 S/cm at 35°C, and are functionally electrochemically stable in the window from 0 to 5.3V vs. Li/Li +. We demonstrate the viability of the ALD-grown electrolyte by integrating it into full solid state batteries, including thin film devices using LiCoO 2 as the cathode and Si as the anode operating at up to 1 mA/cm 2. The high quality of the ALD growth process allows pinhole-free deposition even on rough crystalline surfaces, and we demonstrate the fabrication and operation of thin film batteries with the thinnest (<40nm) solid state electrolytes yet reported. Finally, we show an additional application of the moderate-temperature ALD process by demonstrating a flexible solid state battery fabricated on a polymer substrate.« less

  3. Solid State Ionics Advanced Materials for Emerging Technologies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chowdari, B. V. R.; Careem, M. A.; Dissanayake, M. A. K. L.; Rajapakse, R. M. G.; Seneviratne, V. A.

    2006-06-01

    Keynote lecture. Challenges and opportunities of solid state ionic devices / W. Weppner -- pt. I. Ionically conducting inorganic solids. Invited papers. Multinuclear NMR studies of mass transport of phosphoric acid in water / J. R. P. Jayakody ... [et al.]. Crystalline glassy and polymeric electrolytes: similarities and differences in ionic transport mechanisms / J.-L. Souquet. 30 years of NMR/NQR experiments in solid electrolytes / D. Brinkmann. Analysis of conductivity and NMR measurements in Li[symbol]La[symbol]TiO[symbol] fast Li[symbol] ionic conductor: evidence for correlated Li[symbol] motion / O. Bohnké ... [et al.]. Transport pathways for ions in disordered solids from bond valence mismatch landscapes / S. Adams. Proton conductivity in condensed phases of water: implications on linear and ball lightning / K. Tennakone -- Contributed papers. Proton transport in nanocrystalline bioceramic materials: an investigative study of synthetic bone with that of natural bone / H. Jena, B. Rambabu. Synthesis and properties of the nanostructured fast ionic conductor Li[symbol]La[symbol]TiO[symbol] / Q. N. Pham ... [et al.]. Hydrogen production: ceramic materials for high temperature water electrolysis / A. Hammou. Influence of the sintering temperature on pH sensor ability of Li[symbol]La[symbol]TiO[symbol]. Relationship between potentiometric and impedance spectroscopy measurements / Q. N. Pham ... [et al.]. Microstructure chracterization and ionic conductivity of nano-sized CeO[symbol]-Sm[symbol]O[symbol] system (x=0.05 - 0.2) prepared by combustion route / K. Singh, S. A. Acharya, S. S. Bhoga. Red soil in Northern Sri Lanka is a natural magnetic ceramic / K. Ahilan ... [et al.]. Neutron scattering of LiNiO[symbol] / K. Basar ... [et al.]. Preparation and properties of LiFePO[symbol] nanorods / L. Q. Mai ... [et al.]. Structural and electrochemical properties of monoclinic and othorhombic MoO[symbol] phases / O. M. Hussain ... [et al.]. Preparation of Zircon (Zr

  4. Studies on the effect of dispersoid(ZrO2) in PVdF-co-HFP based gel polymer electrolytes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sivakumar, M.; Subadevi, R.; Muthupradeepa, R.

    2013-06-01

    Gel polymer electrolytes containing poly(vinylidenefluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (P(VdF-co-HFP)) / Lithium bis(trifluoromethane sulfon)imide (LiTFSI) / mixture of ethylene carbonate and propylene carbonate (EC+PC) with different concendration of ZrO2 has been prepared using the solution casting technique. The conductivity of the prepared electrolyte sample has been determined by AC impedance technique in the range 303-353K. The temperature dependent ionic conductivity plot seems to obey VTF relation. The maximum ionic conductivity value of 4.46 × 10-3S/cm has been obtained for PVdF-co-HFP(32%) - LiTFSI(8%) - EC+PC (60%) + ZrO2(6wt%) based polymer electrolyte. The surface morphology of the prepared electrolyte sample has been studied using SEM.

  5. A review of electrolyte materials and compositions for electrochemical supercapacitors.

    PubMed

    Zhong, Cheng; Deng, Yida; Hu, Wenbin; Qiao, Jinli; Zhang, Lei; Zhang, Jiujun

    2015-11-07

    Electrolytes have been identified as some of the most influential components in the performance of electrochemical supercapacitors (ESs), which include: electrical double-layer capacitors, pseudocapacitors and hybrid supercapacitors. This paper reviews recent progress in the research and development of ES electrolytes. The electrolytes are classified into several categories, including: aqueous, organic, ionic liquids, solid-state or quasi-solid-state, as well as redox-active electrolytes. Effects of electrolyte properties on ES performance are discussed in detail. The principles and methods of designing and optimizing electrolytes for ES performance and application are highlighted through a comprehensive analysis of the literature. Interaction among the electrolytes, electro-active materials and inactive components (current collectors, binders, and separators) is discussed. The challenges in producing high-performing electrolytes are analyzed. Several possible research directions to overcome these challenges are proposed for future efforts, with the main aim of improving ESs' energy density without sacrificing existing advantages (e.g., a high power density and a long cycle-life) (507 references).

  6. Molecular dynamics study of polysaccharides in binary solvent mixtures of an ionic liquid and water.

    PubMed

    Liu, Hanbin; Sale, Kenneth L; Simmons, Blake A; Singh, Seema

    2011-09-01

    Some ionic liquids (ILs) have great promise as effective solvents for biomass pretreatment, and there are several that have been reported that can dissolve large amounts of cellulose. The solubilized cellulose can then be recovered by addition of antisolvents, such as water or ethanol, and this regeneration process plays an important role in the subsequent enzymatic saccharification reactions and in the recovery of the ionic liquid. To date, little is known about the fundamental intermolecular interactions that drive the dissolution and subsequent regeneration of cellulose in complex mixtures of ionic liquids, water, and cellulose. To investigate these interactions, in this work, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were carried out to study binary and ternary mixtures of the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([C2mim][OAc]) with water and a cellulose oligomer. Simulations of a cellulose oligomer dissolved in three concentrations of binary mixtures of [C2mim][OAc] and water were used to represent the ternary system in the dissolution phase (high [C2mim][OAc] concentration) and present during the initial phase of the regeneration step (intermediate and low [C2mim][OAc] concentrations). The MD analysis of the structure and dynamics that exist in these binary and ternary mixtures provides information on the key intermolecular interactions between cellulose and [C2mim][OAc] that lead to dissolution of cellulose and the key intermolecular interactions in the intermediate states of cellulose precipitation as a function of water content in the cellulose/IL/water system. The analysis of this intermediate state provides new insight into the molecular driving forces present in this ternary system. © 2011 American Chemical Society

  7. In situ engineering of the electrode-electrolyte interface for stabilized overlithiated cathodes

    DOE PAGES

    Evans, Tyler; Piper, Daniela Molina; Sun, Huaxing; ...

    2017-01-05

    Here, the first-ever demonstration of stabilized Si/lithium-manganese-rich full cells, capable of retaining >90% energy over early cycling and >90% capacity over more than 750 cycles at the 1C rate (100% depth-of-discharge), is made through the utilization of a modified ionic liquid electrolyte capable of forming a favorable cathode-electrolyte interface.

  8. Effect of inorganic regenerant properties on pharmaceutical adsorption and desorption performance on polymer anion exchange resin.

    PubMed

    Zheng, Shaokui; Li, Xiaofeng; Zhang, Xueyu; Wang, Wei; Yuan, Shengliu

    2017-09-01

    This study investigated the potential effect of four frequently used inorganic regenerant properties (i.e., ionic strength, cation type, anion type, and regeneration solution volume) on the desorption and adsorption performance of 14 pharmaceuticals, belonging to 12 therapeutic classes with different predominant chemical forms and hydrophobicities, using polymeric anion exchange resin (AER)-packed fixed-bed column tests. After preconditioning with NaCl, NaOH, or saline-alkaline (SA) solutions, all resulting mobile counterion types of AERs effectively adsorbed all 14 pharmaceuticals, where the preferential magnitude of OH - -type = Cl -  + OH - -type > Cl - -type. During regeneration, ionic strength (1 M versus 3 M NaCl) had no significant influence on desorption performance for any of the 14 pharmaceuticals, while no regenerant cation (HCl versus NaCl) or anion type (NaCl versus NaOH and SA) achieved higher desorption efficiencies for all pharmaceuticals. A volumetric increase in 1 M or 3 M NaCl solutions significantly improved the desorption efficiencies of most pharmaceuticals, irrespective of ionic strength. The results indicate that regeneration protocols, including regenerant cation type, anion type and volume, should be optimized to improve pharmaceutical removal by AERs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Synthesis and characterizations of novel polymer electrolytes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chanthad, Chalathorn

    Polymer electrolytes are an important component of many electrochemical devices. The ability to control the structures, properties, and functions of polymer electrolytes remains a key subject for the development of next generation functional polymers. Taking advantage of synthetic strategies is a promising approach to achieve the desired chemical structures, morphologies, thermal, mechanical, and electrochemical properties. Therefore, the major goal of this thesis is to develop synthetic methods for of novel proton exchange membranes and ion conductive membranes. In Chapter 2, new classes of fluorinated polymer- polysilsesquioxane nanocomposites have been designed and synthesized. The synthetic method employed includes radical polymerization using the functional benzoyl peroxide initiator for the telechelic fluorinated polymers with perfluorosulfonic acids in the side chains and a subsequent in-situ sol-gel condensation of the prepared triethoxylsilane-terminated fluorinated polymers with alkoxide precursors. The properties of the composite membranes have been studied as a function of the content and structure of the fillers. The proton conductivity of the prepared membranes increases steadily with the addition of small amounts of the polysilsesquioxane fillers. In particular, the sulfopropylated polysilsesquioxane based nanocomposites display proton conductivities greater than Nafion. This is attributed to the presence of pendant sulfonic acids in the fillers, which increases ion-exchange capacity and offers continuous proton transport channels between the fillers and the polymer matrix. The methanol permeability of the prepared membranes has also been examined. Lower methanol permeability and higher electrochemical selectivity than those of Nafion have been demonstrated in the polysilsesquioxane based nanocomposites. In Chapter 3, the synthesis of a new class of ionic liquid-containing triblock copolymers with fluoropolymer mid-block and imidazolium methacrylate

  10. Combination of an electrolytic pretreatment unit with secondary water reclamation processes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wells, G. W.; Bonura, M. S.

    1973-01-01

    The design and fabrication of a flight concept prototype electrolytic pretreatment unit (EPU) and of a contractor-furnished air evaporation unit (AEU) are described. The integrated EPU and AEU potable water recovery system is referred to as the Electrovap and is capable of processing the urine and flush water of a six-man crew. Results of a five-day performance verification test of the Electrovap system are presented and plans are included for the extended testing of the Electrovap to produce data applicable to the combination of electrolytic pretreatment with most final potable water recovery systems. Plans are also presented for a program to define the design requirements for combining the electrolytic pretreatment unit with a reverse osmosis final processing unit.

  11. Nonflammable gel electrolyte containing alkyl phosphate for rechargeable lithium batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yoshimoto, Nobuko; Niida, Yoshihiro; Egashira, Minato; Morita, Masayuki

    A nonflammable polymeric gel electrolyte has been developed for rechargeable lithium battery systems. The gel film consists of poly(vinylidenefluoride- co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVdF-HFP) swollen with lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF 6) solution in ternary solvent containing trimethyl phosphate (TMP). High ionic conductivity of 6.2 mS cm -1 at 20 °C was obtained for the gel electrolyte consisting of 0.8 M LiPF 6/EC + DEC + TMP (55:25:20) with PVdF-HFP, which is comparable to that of the liquid electrolyte containing the same electrolytic salt. Addition of a small amount of vinylene carbonate (VC) in the gel electrolyte improved the rechargeability of a graphite electrode. The rechargeable capacity of the graphite in the gel containing VC was ca. 300 mAh g -1, which is almost the same as that in a conventional liquid electrolyte system.

  12. Ionic liquids and derived materials for lithium and sodium batteries.

    PubMed

    Yang, Qiwei; Zhang, Zhaoqiang; Sun, Xiao-Guang; Hu, Yong-Sheng; Xing, Huabin; Dai, Sheng

    2018-03-21

    The ever-growing demand for advanced energy storage devices in portable electronics, electric vehicles and large scale power grids has triggered intensive research efforts over the past decade on lithium and sodium batteries. The key to improve their electrochemical performance and enhance the service safety lies in the development of advanced electrode, electrolyte, and auxiliary materials. Ionic liquids (ILs) are liquids consisting entirely of ions near room temperature, and are characterized by many unique properties such as ultralow volatility, high ionic conductivity, good thermal stability, low flammability, a wide electrochemical window, and tunable polarity and basicity/acidity. These properties create the possibilities of designing batteries with excellent safety, high energy/power density and long-term stability, and also provide better ways to synthesize known materials. IL-derived materials, such as poly(ionic liquids), ionogels and IL-tethered nanoparticles, retain most of the characteristics of ILs while being endowed with other favourable features, and thus they have received a great deal of attention as well. This review provides a comprehensive review of the various applications of ILs and derived materials in lithium and sodium batteries including Li/Na-ion, dual-ion, Li/Na-S and Li/Na-air (O 2 ) batteries, with a particular emphasis on recent advances in the literature. Their unique characteristics enable them to serve as advanced resources, medium, or ingredient for almost all the components of batteries, including electrodes, liquid electrolytes, solid electrolytes, artificial solid-electrolyte interphases, and current collectors. Some thoughts on the emerging challenges and opportunities are also presented in this review for further development.

  13. Highly stable gel electrolytes for dye solar cells based on chemically engineered polymethacrylic hosts.

    PubMed

    De Gregorio, Gian Luca; Agosta, Rita; Giannuzzi, Roberto; Martina, Francesca; De Marco, Luisa; Manca, Michele; Gigli, Giuseppe

    2012-03-25

    Four different species of ionically conductive polymers were synthesized and successfully implemented to formulate novel quasi-solid electrolytes for dye solar cells. A power conversion efficiency superior to 85% of the correspondent liquid electrolyte as well as an excellent cell's stability was demonstrated after 500 days of storage.

  14. Apparatus and process for the electrolytic reduction of uranium and plutonium oxides

    DOEpatents

    Poa, David S.; Burris, Leslie; Steunenberg, Robert K.; Tomczuk, Zygmunt

    1991-01-01

    An apparatus and process for reducing uranium and/or plutonium oxides to produce a solid, high-purity metal. The apparatus is an electrolyte cell consisting of a first container, and a smaller second container within the first container. An electrolyte fills both containers, the level of the electrolyte in the first container being above the top of the second container so that the electrolyte can be circulated between the containers. The anode is positioned in the first container while the cathode is located in the second container. Means are provided for passing an inert gas into the electrolyte near the lower end of the anode to sparge the electrolyte and to remove gases which form on the anode during the reduction operation. Means are also provided for mixing and stirring the electrolyte in the first container to solubilize the metal oxide in the electrolyte and to transport the electrolyte containing dissolved oxide into contact with the cathode in the second container. The cell is operated at a temperature below the melting temperature of the metal product so that the metal forms as a solid on the cathode.

  15. Manganese oxide electrochemical capacitor with potassium poly(acrylate) hydrogel electrolyte

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Kuang-Tsin; Wu, Nae-Lih

    An aqueous gel electrolyte has for the first time been successfully applied to the MnO 2· nH 2O-based pseudocapacitive electrochemical capacitors (ECs). The gel electrolyte is made of potassium poly(acrylate) (PAAK) polymer and aqueous solution of KCl. With the selected composition, PAAK:KCl:H 2O = 9.0%:6.7%:84.3% by weight, the gel shows no fluidity, possessing an ionic conductivity in the order of 10 -1 S cm -1. The gel electrolyte has been found to give substantially higher specific capacitances than those in the liquid electrolyte with the same salt (KCl) composition (1 M) and high power capability (>10 kW/kg).

  16. Simulation study of the lithium ion transport mechanism in ternary polymer electrolytes: the critical role of the segmental mobility.

    PubMed

    Diddens, Diddo; Heuer, Andreas

    2014-01-30

    We present an extensive molecular dynamics (MD) simulation study of the lithium ion transport in ternary polymer electrolytes consisting of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), lithium-bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide (LiTFSI), and the ionic liquid N-methyl-N-propylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide (PYR13TFSI). In particular, we focus on two different strategies by which the ternary electrolytes can be devised, namely by (a) adding the ionic liquid to PEO20LiTFSI and (b) substituting the PEO chains in PEO20LiTFSI by the ionic liquid. To grasp the changes of the overall lithium transport mechanism, we employ an analytical, Rouse-based cation transport model (Maitra et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 2007, 98, 227802), which has originally been devised for binary PEO-based electrolytes. This model distinguishes three different microscopic transport mechanisms, each quantified by an individual time scale. In the course of our analysis, we extend this mathematical description to account for an entirely new transport mechanism, namely, the TFSI-supported diffusion of lithium ions decoupled from the PEO chains, which emerges for certain stoichiometries. We find that the segmental mobility plays a decisive role in PEO-based polymer electrolytes. That is, whereas the addition of the ionic liquid to PEO20LiTFSI plasticizes the polymer network and thus also increases the lithium diffusion, the amount of free, mobile ether oxygens reduces when substituting the PEO chains by the ionic liquid, which compensates the plasticizing effect. In total, our observations allow us to formulate some general principles about the lithium ion transport mechanism in ternary polymer electrolytes. Moreover, our insights also shed light on recent experimental observations (Joost et al. Electrochim. Acta 2012, 86, 330).

  17. Bimodal dielectric relaxation of electrolyte solutions in weakly polar solvents.

    PubMed

    Yamaguchi, Tsuyoshi; Koda, Shinobu

    2014-12-28

    The dielectric relaxation spectra of dilute electrolyte solutions in solvents of small dielectric constants are investigated both theoretically and experimentally. The theoretical calculation in our previous work [T. Yamaguchi, T. Matsuoka, and S. Koda, J. Chem. Phys. 135, 164511 (2011)] is reanalyzed, and it is shown that the dielectric relaxation spectra are composed of three components, namely, the relaxation of ionic atmosphere, the reorientational relaxation of ion pairs, and the collision between ions. The relaxation frequency of the slowest one increases with increasing the concentration, and the slower two relaxations, those of ionic atmosphere and ion pairs, merge into one at the concentration where the Debye length is comparable to the size of ions. Experimentally, the dielectric relaxation spectra of some electrolytes in two solvents, tetrahydrofuran and tetraglyme, are determined at frequencies from 300 kHz to 200 MHz, and the presence of the slower two relaxations was confirmed. The concentration dependence of the relaxation frequency is also in harmony with the theoretical calculation. The relationship between the dielectric relaxation spectra and the concentration dependence of the ionic conductivity is discussed.

  18. Bimodal dielectric relaxation of electrolyte solutions in weakly polar solvents

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yamaguchi, Tsuyoshi; Koda, Shinobu

    2014-12-01

    The dielectric relaxation spectra of dilute electrolyte solutions in solvents of small dielectric constants are investigated both theoretically and experimentally. The theoretical calculation in our previous work [T. Yamaguchi, T. Matsuoka, and S. Koda, J. Chem. Phys. 135, 164511 (2011)] is reanalyzed, and it is shown that the dielectric relaxation spectra are composed of three components, namely, the relaxation of ionic atmosphere, the reorientational relaxation of ion pairs, and the collision between ions. The relaxation frequency of the slowest one increases with increasing the concentration, and the slower two relaxations, those of ionic atmosphere and ion pairs, merge into one at the concentration where the Debye length is comparable to the size of ions. Experimentally, the dielectric relaxation spectra of some electrolytes in two solvents, tetrahydrofuran and tetraglyme, are determined at frequencies from 300 kHz to 200 MHz, and the presence of the slower two relaxations was confirmed. The concentration dependence of the relaxation frequency is also in harmony with the theoretical calculation. The relationship between the dielectric relaxation spectra and the concentration dependence of the ionic conductivity is discussed.

  19. Durable electrooptic devices comprising ionic liquids

    DOEpatents

    Agrawal, Anoop; Cronin, John P.; Tonazzi, Juan C. L.; Warner, Benjamin P.; McCleskey, T. Mark; Burrell, Anthony K.

    2005-11-01

    Electrolyte solutions for electrochromic devices such as rear view mirrors and displays with low leakage currents are prepared using inexpensive, low conductivity conductors. Preferred electrolytes include bifunctional redox dyes and molten salt solvents with enhanced stability toward ultraviolet radiation. The solvents include lithium or quaternary ammonium cations, and perfluorinated sulfonylimide anions selected from trifluoromethylsulfonate (CF3SO3-), bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ((CF3SO2)2N-), bis(perfluoroethylsulfonyl)imide ((CF3CF2SO2)2N-) and tris(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)methide ((CF3SO2)3C-). Electroluminescent, electrochromic and photoelectrochromic devices with nanostructured electrodes include ionic liquids with bifunctional redox dyes.

  20. Lithium-sulfur batteries based on nitrogen-doped carbon and an ionic-liquid electrolyte.

    PubMed

    Sun, Xiao-Guang; Wang, Xiqing; Mayes, Richard T; Dai, Sheng

    2012-10-01

    Nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon (NC) and sulfur were used to prepare an NC/S composite cathode, which was evaluated in an ionic-liquid electrolyte of 0.5 M lithium bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) in methylpropylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl)imide ([MPPY][TFSI]) by cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and cycle testing. To facilitate the comparison, a C/S composite based on activated carbon (AC) without nitrogen doping was also fabricated under the same conditions. Compared with the AC/S composite, the NC/S composite showed enhanced activity toward sulfur reduction, as evidenced by the lower onset sulfur reduction potential, higher redox current density in the CV test, and faster charge-transfer kinetics, as indicated by EIS measurements. At room temperature under a current density of 84 mA g(-1) (C/20), the battery based on the NC/S composite exhibited a higher discharge potential and an initial capacity of 1420 mAh g(-1), whereas the battery based on the AC/S composite showed a lower discharge potential and an initial capacity of 1120 mAh g(-1). Both batteries showed similar capacity fading with cycling due to the intrinsic polysulfide solubility and the polysulfide shuttle mechanism; capacity fading can be improved by further cathode modification. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.