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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 631 records · Page 35

Carbon–Mineral Slurry Electrodes for Energy-Efficient Lithium Leaching from Low-Grade Clay Feedstocks

Lithium extraction from clay deposits is typically hampered by low lithium grades and the high capital and energy demands of conventional processing. We report an ambient temperature electrochemical leaching method that bypasses high-temperature roasting and concentrated-acid leaching, directly liberating 93% of lithium from low-grade hectorite in 24 h at 1 V, with 77% Faradaic efficiency, an energy intensity of 3.91 MWh/t lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE). Utilizing a carbon-mineral composite slurry electrode strategy we achieve electron-driven lattice deconstruction through iron oxidation coupled with proton uptake to drive lithium deintercalation, offering a new strategy for low-temperature critical-metal recovery. A preliminary cost analysis highlights pathways to achieving cost intensities below $3000/t LCE. Challenges remain in improving current density, extraction kinetics, and demonstrating process scalability, however, this work establishes a foundation for effective electrochemical lithium extraction from abundant but previously uneconomical clay deposits.

Haddad, Andrew Z↗

Electrochemical Routes for the Valorization of Biomass-Derived Feedstocks: From Chemistry to Application

The drive to reduce consumption of fossil resources, coupled with expanding capacity for renewable electricity, invites the exploration of new routes to utilize this energy for the sustainable production of fuels, chemicals, and materials. Biomass represents a possible source of platform precursors for such commodities due to its inherent ability to fix CO2 in the form of multi-carbon organic molecules. Electrochemical methods for the valorization of biomass are thus intriguing, but there is a need to objectively evaluate this field and define the opportunity space by identifying pathways suited to electrochemistry. In this contribution we offer a comprehensive, critical review of recent advances in low-temperature (liquid phase), electrochemical reduction and oxidation of biomass-derived intermediates (polyols, furans, carboxylic acids, amino acids, and lignin), with emphasis on identifying the state-of-the-art for each documented reaction. Progress in computational modeling is also reviewed. We further suggest a number of possible reactions that have not yet been explored but which are expected to proceed based on established routes to transform specific functional groups. We conclude with a critical discussion of technological challenges for scale-up, fundamental research needs, process intensification opportunities (e.g., by pairing compatible oxidations and reductions), and new benchmarking standards that will be necessary to accelerate progress toward application in this still-nascent field.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Feedstocks to Pharmacophores: Cu-Catalyzed Oxidative Arylation of Inexpensive Alkylarenes Enabling Direct Access to Diarylalkanes

A Cu-catalyzed method has been identified for selective oxidative arylation of benzylic C–H bonds with arylboronic esters. The resulting 1,1-diarylalkanes are accessed directly from inexpensive alkylarenes containing primary and secondary benzylic C–H bonds, such as toluene or ethylbenzene. All catalyst components are commercially available at low cost, and the arylboronic esters are either commercially available or easily accessible from the commercially available boronic acids. In conclusion, the potential utility of these methods in medicinal chemistry applications is highlighted.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Electrosynthesis of ethylene glycol from C 1 feedstocks in a flow electrolyzer

Ethylene glycol is a widely utilized commodity chemical, the production of which accounts for over 46 million tons of CO 2 emission annually. Here we report a paired electrocatalytic approach for ethylene glycol production from methanol. Carbon catalysts are effective in reducing formaldehyde into ethylene glycol with a 92% Faradaic efficiency, whereas Pt catalysts at the anode enable formaldehyde production through methanol partial oxidation with a 75% Faradaic efficiency. With a membrane-electrode assembly configuration, we show the feasibility of ethylene glycol electrosynthesis from methanol in a single electrolyzer. The electrolyzer operates a full cell voltage of 3.2 V at a current density of 100 mA cm -2 , with a 60% reduction in energy consumption. Further investigations, using operando flow electrolyzer mass spectroscopy, isotopic labeling, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, indicate that the desorption of a *CH 2 OH intermediate is the crucial step in determining the selectively towards ethylene glycol over methanol.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Integrated catalytic sequences for catalytic upgrading of bio-derived carboxylic acids to fuels, lubricants and chemical feedstocks

In the late 1850s, Charles Friedel's dry distillation of calcium acetate gave the world a novel route to the commercial production of acetone, a process that would later be referred to as decarboxylative dehydration (ketonization). While the subsequent development of the petrochemical industry made this route to acetone uncompetitive, today there is considerable interest in ketonization as means for converting biomass-derived fatty acids to produce longer-chained ketones, which could serve as precursors to fuels and lubricants. However, the lack of strategies beyond direct hydrogenation of the ketones into hydrocarbons has limited the practical application of ketonization for producing biofuels. In this paper, we describe here integrated catalytic sequences for converting a range of biomass-derived carboxylic acids, sourced through fermentation of sugars, hydrolysis of lipids, or biomass pyrolysis, to compounds that are fully compatible with the existing energy infrastructure and require minimal hydrogen input.

Shylesh, Sankaranarayanapillai↗