Water‐Mediated Synthesis of a Superionic Halide Solid Electrolyte

To promote the development of solid‐state batteries, polymer‐, oxide‐, and sulfide‐based solid‐state electrolytes (SSEs) have been extensively investigated. However, the disadvantages of these SSEs, such as high‐temperature sintering of oxides, air instability of sulfides, and narrow electrochemical windows of polymers electrolytes, significantly hinder their practical application. Therefore, developing SSEs that have a high ionic conductivity (>10^?3 S cm^?1), good air stability, wide electrochemical window, excellent electrode interface stability, low‐cost mass production is required. Herein we report a halide Li⁺ superionic conductor, Li₃InCl₆, that can be synthesized in water. Most importantly, the as‐synthesized Li₃InCl₆ shows a high ionic conductivity of 2.04×10^?3 S cm^?1 at 25 °C. Furthermore, the ionic conductivity can be recovered after dissolution in water. Combined with a LiNi_0.8Co_0.1Mn_0.1O₂ cathode, the solid‐state Li battery shows good cycling stability.     

Polystyrene Sulfonate Threaded through a Metal–Organic Framework Membrane for Fast and Selective Lithium‐Ion Separation

Extraction of lithium ions from salt‐lake brines is very important to produce lithium compounds. Herein, we report a new approach to construct polystyrene sulfonate (PSS) threaded HKUST‐1 metal–organic framework (MOF) membranes through an in situ confinement conversion process. The resulting membrane PSS@HKUST‐1‐6.7, with unique anchored three‐dimensional sulfonate networks, shows a very high Li⁺ conductivity of 5.53×10^?4 S cm^?1 at 25 °C, 1.89×10^?3 S cm^?1 at 70 °C, and Li⁺ flux of 6.75 mol m^?2 h^?1, which are five orders higher than that of the pristine HKUST‐1 membrane. Attributed to the different size sieving effects and the affinity differences of the Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, and Mg²⁺ ions to the sulfonate groups, the PSS@HKUST‐1‐6.7 membrane exhibits ideal selectivities of 78, 99, and 10296 for Li⁺/Na⁺, Li⁺/K⁺, Li⁺/Mg²⁺ and real binary ion selectivities of 35, 67, and 1815, respectively, the highest ever reported among ionic conductors and Li⁺ extraction membranes.     

Comparative study of ionic interactions of 1 : 1 and 1 : 2 electrolytes of nitrates salts solutions with water analysed with physicochemical data

Densities (ρ), viscosities (η) and surface tension (γ) as function of the molarity of 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5 and 0.6 for LiNO₃, NaNO₃, KNO₃, Sr(NO₃)₂, Ba(NO₃)₂ and Pb(NO₃)₂ electrolytes are reported at 32°C. Data were regressed for limiting values for solute–solvent interactions and effects of shell numbers and electronic configurations. A confidence variance of 95.5% at Gaussian distribution was noted. Densities explained ionic forces and sizes, and viscosities defined frictional forces while the surface tension focused surface energies of hydrated ions. Slopes of densities, viscosities and surface tensions explained the concentration effects on ionic interactions. Limiting densities from Li⁺ to Ba²⁺ increased with increase in sizes. Pb²⁺ smaller in size than the Ba²⁺ had lower limiting densities. The ρ ⁰ are Ba^2+?>?Sr^2+?>?Pb^2+?>?K^+?>?Na^+?>?Li⁺ with 3.24, 2.98, 4.53, 2.109, 2.257 and 2.38?×?10^3?kg?m^?3 densities of nitrate salts, respectively, in the solid state.     

Boosting Solid‐State Diffusivity and Conductivity in Lithium Superionic Argyrodites by Halide Substitution

Developing high‐performance all‐solid‐state batteries is contingent on finding solid electrolyte materials with high ionic conductivity and ductility. Here we report new halide‐rich solid solution phases in the argyrodite Li₆PS₅Cl family, Li_6?xPS_5?xCl_1+x, and combine electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, neutron diffraction, and ⁷Li NMR MAS and PFG spectroscopy to show that increasing the Cl^?/S^2? ratio has a systematic, and remarkable impact on Li‐ion diffusivity in the lattice. The phase at the limit of the solid solution regime, Li_5.5PS_4.5Cl_1.5, exhibits a cold‐pressed conductivity of 9.4±0.1 mS cm^?1 at 298 K (and 12.0±0.2 mS cm^?1 on sintering)—almost four‐fold greater than Li₆PS₅Cl under identical processing conditions and comparable to metastable superionic Li₇P₃S₁₁. Weakened interactions between the mobile Li‐ions and surrounding framework anions incurred by substitution of divalent S^2? for monovalent Cl^? play a major role in enhancing Li⁺‐ion diffusivity, along with increased site disorder and a higher lithium vacancy population.     

Complexing ability of pesticides and related compounds. Formation and stability in aqueous solution of H+ , Li+, Na+, K+, Mg2+ and Ca2+ phenoxyacetate complexes at different temperatures and ionic strengths

The formation constants of Li⁺, N⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺ phenoxyacetate complexes were determined potentiometrically using an (H⁺)-glass electrode at 10, 25, 37 and 45°C, at several ionic strengths, in the range 0.04?I? 0.9 mol 1^?1. Simple empirical equations for the dependence of the formation constants on ionic strength were derived. From the temperature coefficients, estimates of ΔH^o and ΔS^o were obtained.     

Cation exchange, interlayer spacing, and thermal analysis of Na/Ca-montmorillonite modified with alkaline and alkaline earth metal ions

Na-montmorillonites were exchanged with Li⁺, K⁺, Rb⁺, Cs⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, Sr²⁺, and Ba²⁺, while Ca-montmorillonites were treated with alkaline and alkaline earth ions except for Ra²⁺ and Ca²⁺. Montmorillonites with interlayer cations Li⁺ or Na⁺ have remarkable swelling capacity and keep excellent stability. It is shown that metal ions represent different exchange ability as follows: Cs⁺?>?Rb⁺?>?K⁺?>?Na⁺?>?Li⁺ and Ba²⁺?>?Sr²⁺?>?Ca²⁺?>?Mg²⁺. The cation exchange capacity with single ion exchange capacity illustrates that Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺ do not only take part in cation exchange but also produce physical adsorption on the montmorillonite. Although interlayer spacing d ₀₀₁ depends on both radius and hydration radius of interlayer cations, the latter one plays a decisive role in changing d ₀₀₁ value. Three stages of temperature intervals of dehydration are observed from the TG/DSC curves: the release of surface water adsorbed (36?C84?°C), the dehydration of interlayer water and the chemical-adsorption water (47?C189?°C) and dehydration of bound water of interlayer metal cation (108?C268?°C). Data show that the quantity and hydration energy of ions adsorbed on montmorillonite influence the water content in montmorillonite. Mg²⁺-modified Na-montmorillonite which absorbs the most quantity of ions with the highest hydration energy has the maximum water content up to 8.84%.     

Enhanced zinc ion transport in gel polymer electrolyte: effect of nano-sized ZnO dispersion

The effect of the dispersion of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles in the zinc ion conducting gel polymer electrolyte is studied. Changes in the morphology/structure of the gel polymer electrolyte with the introduction of ZnO particles are distinctly observed using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The nanocomposites offer ionic conductivity values of >10^?3 S cm^?1 with good thermal and electrochemical stabilities. The variation of ionic conductivity with temperature follows the Vogel–Tamman–Fulcher behavior. AC impedance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and transport number measurements have confirmed Zn²⁺ ion conduction in the gel nanocomposites. An electrochemical stability window from ?2.25 to 2.25 V was obtained from voltammetric studies of nanocomposite films. The cationic (i.e., Zn²⁺ ion) transport number (t ₊) has been found to be significantly enhanced up to a maximum of 0.55 for the dispersion of 10 wt.% ZnO nanoparticles, indicating substantial enhancement in Zn²⁺ ion conductivity. The gel polymer electrolyte nanocomposite films with enhanced Zn²⁺ ion conductivity are useful as separators and electrolytes in Zn rechargeable batteries and other electrochemical applications.     

Enhanced Surface Interactions Enable Fast Li+ Conduction in Oxide/Polymer Composite Electrolyte

Li⁺‐conducting oxides are considered better ceramic fillers than Li⁺‐insulating oxides for improving Li⁺ conductivity in composite polymer electrolytes owing to their ability to conduct Li⁺ through the ceramic oxide as well as across the oxide/polymer interface. Here we use two Li⁺‐insulating oxides (fluorite Gd_0.1Ce_0.9O_1.95 and perovskite La_0.8Sr_0.2Ga_0.8Mg_0.2O_2.55) with a high concentration of oxygen vacancies to demonstrate two oxide/poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)‐based polymer composite electrolytes, each with a Li⁺ conductivity above 10^?4 S cm^?1 at 30 °C. Li solid‐state NMR results show an increase in Li⁺ ions (>10 %) occupying the more mobile A2 environment in the composite electrolytes. This increase in A2‐site occupancy originates from the strong interaction between the O^2? of Li‐salt anion and the surface oxygen vacancies of each oxide and contributes to the more facile Li⁺ transport. All‐solid‐state Li‐metal cells with these composite electrolytes demonstrate a small interfacial resistance with good cycling performance at 35 °C.     

Synthesis of a new pyrene-devived fluorescent probe for the detection of Zn2+

A novel pyrene-based receptor bearing benzothiazole was synthesized as a good turn-on fluorescent sensor for the recognition of Zn²⁺. The probe showed an excellent selectivity for Zn²⁺over most other competing ions (eg, Cr³⁺, Li⁺, Cd²⁺, Al³⁺, Pb²⁺, Li⁺, Mg²⁺, Ag⁺, Ca²⁺, Ni²⁺, Mn²⁺, Fe³⁺, Hg²⁺, Ba²⁺, K⁺, Na⁺, Cu²⁺, Fe²⁺) in EtOH-HEPES (65:35, v/v, pH?=?7.20), which might be attributed to the photoinduced electron transfer (PET) mechanism. The formation of 1:1 stoichiometric PBZ-Zn²⁺ complex was determined based on the Job's plot, ¹H NMR titration and ESI-MS. The binding constant of the complex was 4.04?×?10⁴?M^?1 with a detection limit of 2.58?×?10^?7?M. The potential application of the PBZ in real water samples for recognizing Zn²⁺ was investigated. Bio-imaging study also revealed that PBZ could be applied to detecting Zn²⁺ in live cells. These results indicated that PBZ could be a favorable probe for Zn²⁺.     

Nanocrystalline cellulose-reinforced composite mats for lithium-ion batteries: electrochemical and thermomechanical performance

Nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC)-reinforced poly(vinylidenefluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVdF-HFP) composite mats have been prepared by electrospinning method. Polymer electrolytes formed by activating the composite mats with 1 M lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide/1-butyl-3-methypyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide electrolyte solution. The addition of 2 wt% NCC in PVdF-HFP improved the electrolyte retention and storage modulus of the separator by 63 and 15 %, respectively. The developed electrolyte demonstrated high value of ionic conductivity viz. 4?×?10^?4?S?cm^?1 at 30 °C. Linear scan voltammetry revealed a wide electrochemical stability of the composite mat separator up to 5 V (vs. Li⁺/Li). Cyclic voltammetry of the polymer electrolyte with a graphite electrode in 2.5 to 0 V (vs. Li⁺/Li) potential range showed a reversible intercalation/de-intercalation of Li⁺ ions in the graphite. No peaks were observed related to the reduction of the electrolyte on the anode.     

Li6+2x[B10Se18]Sex (x ≈ 2), ein ionenleitendes Doppelsalz

Li_6+2x[B₁₀Se₁₈]Se_x (x ≈ 2), an Ion‐conducting Double Salt Li_6+2x[B₁₀Se₁₈]Se_x (x ≈ 2) was prepared in a solid state reaction from lithium selenide, amorphous boron and selenium in evacuated carbon coated silica tubes at a temperature of 800 °C. Subsequent cooling from 600 °C to 300 °C gave amber colored crystals with the following lattice parameters: space group I2/a (at 173 K); a = 17.411(1) Å, b = 21.900(1) Å, c = 17.820(1) Å, β = 101.6(1)°. The crystal structure contains a well‐defined polymeric selenoborate network of composition ([B₁₀Se₁₆Se_4/2]^6?)_n consisting of a system of edge‐sharing [B₁₀Se₁₆Se_4/2] adamantanoid macro‐tetrahedra forming large channels in which a strongly disorderd system of partial occupied Li⁺ cations and additional disordered Se^2? anions is observed. The crystal structure of the novel selenoborate is isotypic to Li_6+2x[B₁₀S₁₈]S_x (x ≈ 2) [1]. X‐ray and ⁷Li magic‐angle spinning NMR data suggest that the site occupancies of the three crystallographically distinct lithium ions exhibit a significant temperature dependence. The lithium ion mobility has been characterized by detailed temperature dependent NMR lineshape and spin‐lattice relaxation measurements.     

Reaction of cefalexine with manganese(II), cobalt(II), nickel(II), zinc(II), and cadmium(II) ions

The reaction of cefalexine anions (Cpx^?) with Mn²⁺, Co²⁺, Ni²⁺, Zn²⁺, and Cd²⁺ ions in aqueous solution at 20°C and ionic strength 0.1 was studied by pH-metry. In weakly alkaline medium, unstable complexes MCpx⁺ and M(OH)Cpx are formed, in which Cpx^? behaves as a monodentate lidand coordinated through the amino group.     

Complexation of managanese(II), cobalt(II), nickel(II), zink(II), and cadmium(II) cations with amoxicillin

The interaction of amoxicillin anions (Axn^?) with Mn²⁺, Co²⁺, Ni²⁺, Zn²⁺, and Cd²⁺ in aqueous solution at 20°C and an ionic strength of 0.1 (KNO₃) has been studied pH-metrically. In a neutral and weak alkaline solution, MAxn⁺ and M(OH)Axn complexes are formed. The formation constants and the pH ranges of existence of these complexes have been determined.     

THERMAL BEHAVIOR AND IONIC CONDUCTIVITY OF POLY[LITHIUM-N(4-SULFO-PHENYL) MALEIMIDE -CO-METHOXY OLIGO(OXYETHYLENE) METHACRYLATE]

Poly[lithium-N(4-sulfophenyl) maleimide -co- methoxy oligo-(oxyethylene) methacrylates] [P(LiSMOE_n)s] with three different oligoether side chains and different salt concentrations were synthesized. The copolyelectrolytes are essentially random in structure, with blocks of methoxy oligo(oxyethylene) meth-acrylate (MOE_nM) recurring sporadically in between the salt units of N(4-sulfophenyl) maleimide. They all show two glass transitions in the temperature range of ?100 to 100°C. The first one below ?30°C is assigned to the oligo(oxyethylene) side chain (T _g1), while the second one located between 20 and 50°C is attributed to the main chain of the polymer host (T _g2). The maximum ionic conductivity of the copolymer electrolytes, 1.6 × 10^?7 S cm^?1 at 25°C, occurs at lithium salt concentration [Li⁺]/[EO] = 2.2 mol%. The ionic conductive behavior of the copolyelectrolytes follows the Vogel-Tammann-Fulcher (VTF) equation. Moreover, a special VTF behavior exists in the copolymers with shorter oligoether side chain and higher salt concentration. Sweep voltammetric results indicate that these copolyelectrolytes have a good electrochemical stability window.     

Lithium garnet based free-standing solid polymer composite membrane for rechargeable lithium battery

Electrolytes with high lithium-ion conductivity, better mechanical strength and large electrochemical window are essential for the realization of high-energy density lithium batteries. Polymer electrolytes are gaining interest due to their inherent flexibility and nonflammability over conventional liquid electrolytes. In this work, lithium garnet composite polymer electrolyte membrane (GCPEM) consisting of large molecular weight (W_avg ~?5?×?10⁶) polyethylene oxide (PEO) complexed with lithium perchlorate (LiClO₄) and lithium garnet oxide Li_6.28Al_0.24La₃Zr₂O₁₂ (Al-LLZO) is prepared by solution-casting method. Significant improvement in Li⁺ conductivity for Al-LLZO containing GCPEM is observed compared with the Al-LLZO free polymer membrane. Maximized room temperature (30 °C) Li⁺ conductivity of 4.40?×?10^?4 S cm^?1 and wide electrochemical window (4.5 V) is observed for PEO₈/LiClO₄?+?20 wt% Al-LLZO (GCPEM-20) membrane. The fabricated cell with LiCoO₂ as cathode, metallic lithium as anode and GCPEM-20 as electrolyte membrane delivers an initial charge/discharge capacity of 146 mAh g^?1/142 mAh g^?1 at 25 °C with 0.06 C-rate.     

Locally Concentrated Ionic Liquid Electrolytes Enabling Low-Temperature Lithium Metal Batteries

Lithium metal is a promising anode material for next-generation high-energy-density batteries but suffers from low stripping/plating Coulombic efficiency and dendritic growth particularly at sub-zero temperatures. Herein, a poorly-flammable, locally concentrated ionic liquid electrolyte with a wide liquidus range extending well below 0 °C is proposed for low-temperature lithium metal batteries. Its all-anion Li⁺ solvation and phase-nano-segregation solution structure are sustained at low temperatures, which, together with a solid electrolyte interphase rich in inorganic compounds, enable dendrite-free operation of lithium metal anodes at −20 °C and 0.5 mA cm⁻², with a Coulombic efficiency of 98.9 %. As a result, lithium metal batteries coupling thin lithium metal anodes (4 mAh cm⁻²) and high-loading LiNi_0.8Co_0.15Al_0.05O₂ cathodes (10 mg cm⁻²) retain 70 % of the initial capacity after 100 cycles at −20 °C. These results, as a proof of concept, demonstrate the applicability of locally concentrated ionic liquid electrolytes for low-temperature lithium metal batteries.     

A Perovskite Electrolyte That Is Stable in Moist Air for Lithium‐Ion Batteries

Solid‐oxide Li⁺ electrolytes of a rechargeable cell are generally sensitive to moisture in the air as H⁺ exchanges for the mobile Li⁺ of the electrolyte and forms insulating surface phases at the electrolyte interfaces and in the grain boundaries of a polycrystalline membrane. These surface phases dominate the total interfacial resistance of a conventional rechargeable cell with a solid–electrolyte separator. We report a new perovskite Li⁺ solid electrolyte, Li_0.38Sr_0.44Ta_0.7Hf_0.3O_2.95F_0.05, with a lithium‐ion conductivity of σ_Li=4.8×10^?4 S cm^?1 at 25 °C that does not react with water having 3≤pH≤14. The solid electrolyte with a thin Li⁺‐conducting polymer on its surface to prevent reduction of Ta⁵⁺ is wet by metallic lithium and provides low‐impedance dendrite‐free plating/stripping of a lithium anode. It is also stable upon contact with a composite polymer cathode. With this solid electrolyte, we demonstrate excellent cycling performance of an all‐solid‐state Li/LiFePO₄ cell, a Li‐S cell with a polymer‐gel cathode, and a supercapacitor.     

Zur Kenntnis von KLiZnO2 [1]

On KLiZnO₂ The hitherto unknown compound KLiZnO₂ has been prepared by annealing a mixture of KO_0.48, Li₂O and ZnO in the ratio K:Li:Zn = 1.1:1.1:1 [Ag-cylinder, sealed under Ar in Duran-glass tube, 500°C, 14 d (powder), or closed Pt tube, 800°C, 45 d (single crystals)]. The plate-shaped single crystals and the powder are colourless and hygroscopic. The structure determination [420 symmetry independent hkl, fourcircle-diffractometer PW 1100 (Philips), ω - 2θ-scan, MoK_α, R = 5.78%, R_w = 5.96%] proves the space group C2/m with a = 1083.2(1), b = 334.42(3), c = 823.7(1) pm and β = 120.11(1)°, Z = 4, d_x = 3.69, d_pyk = 3.57 g · cm^?3. The structure shows corrugated layers of cations and O^2? respectively. It can be deduced from a cubic closest packing of O^2? and K⁺ where Li⁺ and Zn²⁺ occupy 1/3 of the tetrahedral holes. The Effective Coordination Numbers, ECoN, Mean Fictive Ionic Radii, MEFIR, and the Madelung Part of Lattice Energy, MAPLE, are calculated.     

Ionic thermo‐responsive copolymer with multi LCST values: easy and fast LCST‐change through anion exchange

An ionic thermo‐responsive copolymer with multiple lower critical solution temperatures (multi‐LCSTs) has been developed, and the multi‐LCSTs were easily changeable according to the various counter anion types. The multi‐LCST values were achieved by introducing an ionic segment with an imidazolium moiety within the p‐NIPAAm polymer chain to produce poly(NIPAAm‐co‐BVIm) copolymers, [p‐NIBIm]⁺[Br]^?, and changing the counter anion type to produce [p‐NIBIm]⁺[X]^? (X = Cl, AcO, HCO₃, BF₄, CF₃SO₃, PF₆, SbF₆). The as‐prepared temperature‐responsive copolymers were physicochemically characterized via proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H‐NMR), Fourier‐transform infrared, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. Their various LCST values, micelle sizes, and surface charges were determined using an Ultraviolet‐visible spectrophotometer and a Zeta (ξ) sizer, which were fitted with temperature and stirring control. The copolymers showed a broad LCST spectrum between 39°C and 52°C. The Zeta (ξ) potential values at a pH = 7 decreased from about +9.7 for [p‐NIBIm]⁺[X]^? (X = Cl ≈ Br) to about +2.0 mV for [p‐NIBIm]⁺[X]^? (X = PF₆ ≈ SbF₆). The micelle size (or volume) of the copolymers with different anionic species gradually increased from 181.2 nm (or 2.49 × 10^?17 cm^?3) for [p‐NIBIm]⁺[Br]^? to 229.2 nm (or 5.04 × 10^?17 cm^?3) for [p‐NIBIm]⁺[CF₃SO₃]^?, showing a clear effect of the anion on the micelle size (or volume) at a constant temperature, such as body temperature. The fact that the most important physicochemical properties for the thermo‐responsive copolymers, such as the LCST value, micelle size (or volume), and surface charge, could be easily controlled only through the anion exchange suggests these are highly applicable as ionic thermo‐responsive copolymers in a drug (or gene, protein) delivery system. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ion trapping and its effect on the conductivity of LISICON and other solid electrolytes

Conductivity data for the lithium ion conducting solid electrolyte, LISICON, Li_2+2xZn_1?xGeO₄ over a particularly wide composition range, 0.15 < x < 0.85, and over the temperature range ～25 to 150°C show that both the activation energy and preexponential factor pass through maxima around x ～ 0.4 to 0.5, at which the preexponential factor exhibits anomalously high values, ～10¹³ ohm^?1 cm^?1 K. An explanation is offered which involves the trapping of mobile Li⁺ ions by the immobile sublattice at lower temperatures. This model also accounts for ageing effects observed at lower temperatures in which the conductivity decreases slowly with time. In the isostructural Li⁺ electrolytes, Li_3+xSi_xY_1?xO₄ (Y = P, As, V), the compositional dependence of both the preexponential factor and activation energy is less marked and no evidence for ion trapping effects is observed.