Aprotic metal-oxygen batteries: recent findings and insights

During the last two decades, we have observed a dramatic increase in the electrification of many technologies. What has enabled this transition to take place was the commercialization of Li-ion batteries in the early nineties. Mobile technologies such as cellular phones, laptops, and medical devices make these batteries crucial for our contemporary lifestyle. Like any other electrochemical cell, the Li-ion batteries are restricted to the thermodynamic limitations of the materials. It might be that the energy density of the most advance Li-ion battery is still too low for demanding technologies such as a full electric vehicle. To really convince future customers to switch from the internal combustion engine, new batteries and chemistry need to be developed. Non-aqueous metal-oxygen batteries—such as lithium–oxygen, sodium–oxygen, magnesium–oxygen, and potassium–oxygen—offer high capacity and high operation voltages. Also, by using suitable polar aprotic solvents, the oxygen reduction process that occurs during discharge can be reversed by applying an external potential during the charge process. Thus, in theory, these batteries could be electrically recharged a number of times. However, there are many scientific and technical challenges that need to be addressed. The current review highlights recent scientific insights related to these promising batteries. Nevertheless, the reader will note that many conclusions are applicable in other kinds of batteries as well.     

A Rechargeable Al/S Battery with an Ionic‐Liquid Electrolyte

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 AlS_x. 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.     

Diastereoselective sulfonate-directed carbonyl reduction of γ-keto-sulfonates

The diastereoselective reduction of γ-keto-sulfonates to afford α,γ-substituted γ-hydroxy sulfonates has been investigated. Herein we report the first example of a diastereoselective carbonyl reduction whereby hydride attack is directed via chelation of a neighbouring sulfonate group to a boron atom, thus affording prevalently trans γ-hydroxy sulfonates.     

The electrochemistry of activated carbonaceous materials: past, present, and future

Carbonaceous materials are widely used in electrochemistry. All allotropic forms of carbons??graphite, glassy carbon, amorphous carbon, fullerenes, nanotubes, and doped diamond??are used as important electrode materials in all fields of modern electrochemistry. Examples include graphite and amorphous carbons as anode materials in high-energy density rechargeable Li batteries, porous carbon electrodes in sensors and fuel cells, nano-amorphous carbon as a conducting agent in many kinds of composite electrodes (e.g., cathodes based on intercalation inorganic host materials for batteries), glassy carbon and doped diamond as stable robust and high stability electrode materials for all aspects of basic electrochemical studies, and more. Amorphous carbons can be activated to form very high specific surface area (yet stable) electrode materials which can be used for electrostatic energy storage and conversion [electrical double-layer capacitors (EDLC)] and separation techniques based on electro-adsorption, such as water desalination by capacitive de-ionization (CDI). Apart from the many practical aspects of activated carbon electrodes, there are many highly interesting and important basic aspects related to their study, including transport phenomena, molecular sieving behavior, correlation between electrochemical behavior and surface chemistry, and more. In this article, we review several important aspects related to these electrode materials, in a time perspective (past, present, and future), with the emphasis on their importance to EDLC devices and CDI processes.     

Pressure-induced amorphization of La1/3NbO3

La_1/3NbO₃, an A-site cation deficient double perovskite, has been studied under pressure by synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. In contrast to other highly distorted perovskites, transforming to post-perovskite on compression, La_1/3NbO₃ undergoes irreversible pressure induced amorphization at ~ 14.5 GPa. Over a wide range of pressure before that transition it presents an almost linear volume decrease versus pressure, accompanied by convergence form orthorhombic to a cubic unit cell. The Raman spectroscopy also shows an amorphization at the same pressure. However, where upon full decompression the X-ray diffraction pattern remains amorphous, new Raman peaks become active.     

Recent advances in solid-state beyond lithium batteries

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - As battery technologies are in continuous development, and especially due to the rapid growth in vehicle electrification, which requires large (e.g.,...