Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Liquid Metal”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,099 records · Page 61
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Shock compression of vanadium at extremes: Theory and experiment

Here, the equation of state (EOS) and shock compression of bulk vanadium were investigated using canonical ab initio molecular dynamic simulations, with experimental validation to 865 GPa from shock data collected at Sandia's Z Pulsed Power Facility. In simulations the phase space was sampled along isotherms ranging from 3000 K to 50 000 K, for densities between ρ = 3 and 15 g / cm 3 , with a focus on the liquid regime and the body-centered-cubic phase in the vicinity of the melting limit. The principal Hugoniot predicted from first principles is overall consistent with shock data, while it showed that current multiphase SESAME-type EOS for vanadium needed revision in the liquid regime. A more accurate SESAME EOS was developed using constraints from experiments and simulations. This work emphasizes the need to use a combined theoretical and experimental approach to develop high-fidelity EOS models for extreme conditions.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2022

Chern Fermi pocket, topological pair density wave, and charge-4e and charge-6e superconductivity in kagomé superconductors

Abstract The recent discovery of novel charge density wave (CDW) and pair density wave (PDW) in kagomé lattice superconductors A V 3 Sb 5 ( A = K, Rb, Cs) hints at unexpected time-reversal symmetry breaking correlated and topological states whose physical origin and broader implications are not understood. Here, we make conceptual advances toward a mechanism behind the striking observations and new predictions for novel macroscopic phase coherent quantum states. We show that the metallic CDW state with circulating loop currents is a doped orbital Chern insulator near van Hove filling. The emergent Chern Fermi pockets (CFPs) carry concentrated Berry curvature and orbital magnetic moment. We find that the pairing of electrons on the CFPs leads to a superconducting state with an emergent vortex-antivortex lattice and the formation of a complex triple- Q PDW. A plethora of correlated and topological states emerge, including a never-before-encountered chiral topological PDW superconductor, a loop-current pseudogap phase, and vestigial charge-4 e and charge-6 e superconductivity in staged melting of the vortex-antivortex lattice and hexatic liquid crystal. Our findings reveal previously unknown nature of the superconducting state of a current-carrying Chern metal, with broad implications for correlated and topological materials.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2022

Deep eutectic solvent-based polymer electrolyte for solid-state lithium metal batteries

Poly(ethylene) oxide (PEO)-based electrolytes have been widely studied for solid-state lithium batteries while their ionic conductivity and lithium-ion transference number still need to be further improved. Herein, using the combined experimental and theoretical approach, we demonstrate a novel, solid-state PEO-deep eutectic solvent (DES) electrolyte for the first time. We found that the in situ formation of DES can reduce the crystallinity of PEO matrix and more Li + ions can move freely owing to the weakened coordination between ether oxygens and Li-ions. Besides, we show that more Li + ions can be dissociated from Li salts in PEO-DES electrolyte using the molecular dynamics simulations. Such liquid-free PEO-DES electrolytes showed good ionic conductivity (2.1 × 10 −4 S cm −1 ) which is 160% higher than that of conventional PEO-LiTFSI (8.1 × 10 −5 S cm −1 ) electrolyte at 60 °C. Additionally, the PEO-DES electrolyte showed 136% increase of Li-ion transference number (0.33) compared with ionic liquid-doped PEO-LiTFSI (0.14) at 60 °C. Moreover, the PEO-DES exhibited good compatibility with Li metal and stable Li plating/stripping behavior with little morphology change of Li metal. In conclusion, this research also provides new insights into the enhancement mechanisms of novel polymer electrolytes, improving our fundamental understanding of critical challenges that have impeded the adoption of solid-state lithium metal batteries.

Deep eutectic solvent↗
DOE OSTI2024

Numerical Evaluation of Effective Thermal Conductivity of PCM with Metal Foam Incorporating Buoyancy Effects for Thermal Energy Storage

The thermal energy storage (TES) system has the capability to efficiently preserve thermal energy directly derived from the energy source, minimizing any conversion losses. Especially latent heat storage offers distinct advantages, including a substantial increase in energy storage density and minimization of temperature fluctuations within the plants. However, the phase change material (PCM) employed in latent heat storage has low thermal conductivity. Consequently, various studies are being conducted to enhance heat transfer. One approach to enhance heat transfer involves utilizing metal foam to maximize the heat transfer area. However, modeling metal foam with its intricate structure is a challenging task in numerical analysis. For this reason, ongoing research focuses on simplifying the modeling of metal foam. Nevertheless, fully encompassing all the characteristics of actual metal foam proves to be a challenging task for the simplified analytical model. The objective of this paper is to interpret the simple lattice metal foam analysis model from the perspective of behavior induced by buoyancy. When comparing the analysis results of solid PCM and liquid PCM with the same thermal conductivity under changes in porosity and gravity direction, we conducted an analysis to discern the trends in effective thermal conductivity that are overestimated due to convection. In the analysis, a constant heat flux of 10 kW and a constant surface boundary condition of 350 K were applied, and a sensitivity study regarding the mesh was conducted. The results indicate that, from the perspective of gravity in the simple lattice model, the solid analysis yields an effective thermal conductivity 29-47% higher compared to the liquid analysis. Additionally, as porosity increases, there is an observed increase of 24-33% in effective thermal conductivity.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Solvent-Free Coating of Organic Semiconductor Membranes with Centimetric Crystalline Domains

Organic semiconductors (OSCs) have shown great promise in a variety of applications. Although solution processing of OSCs has resulted in high-quality films, exquisite control of structural development to minimize defect formation during large-scale fabrication remains formidable. Compounding this challenge is the use of halogenated organic solvents, which poses significant health and environmental hazards. However, the solvent-free techniques introduced thus far impose additional limitations on solidification kinetics; the resulting OSC thin films are often more defective than those processed from solution. Here, a solvent-free technique is reported to prepare OSC membranes with centimetric crystalline domains. Leveraging the tendency for liquid crystalline materials to preferentially orient, OSCs are “prealigned” by depositing them from the melt over a metal frame to form a freely suspended membrane. Additionally, crystallization from this prealigned phase affords membranes with unprecedented structural order across macroscopic distances. Field-effect transistors comprising membranes of dioctyl[1]-benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (C8BTBT) and didodecyl[1]-benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (C12BTBT) having centimeter-sized domains as active layers exhibit a hole mobility of ≈8.6 cm2 V -1 s -1 , superseding the mobility of any transistors whose active layers are deposited from melt. This technique is scalable to yield membranes with large crystalline domains over wafer dimensions, making it amenable for broad applications in large-area organic electronics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Bilayer Wigner crystals in a transition metal dichalcogenide heterostructure

One of the first theoretically predicted manifestations of strong interactions in many-electron systems was the Wigner crystal, in which electrons crystallize into a regular lattice. The crystal can melt via either thermal or quantum fluctuations. Quantum melting of the Wigner crystal is predicted to produce exotic intermediate phases and quantum magnetism because of the intricate interplay of Coulomb interactions and kinetic energy. However, studying two-dimensional Wigner crystals in the quantum regime has often required a strong magnetic field or a moiré superlattice potential, thus limiting access to the full phase diagram of the interacting electron liquid. Here we report the observation of bilayer Wigner crystals without magnetic fields or moiré potentials in an atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenide heterostructure, which consists of two MoSe 2 monolayers separated by hexagonal boron nitride. We observe optical signatures of robust correlated insulating states at symmetric (1:1) and asymmetric (3:1, 4:1 and 7:1) electron doping of the two MoSe 2 layers at cryogenic temperatures. Here, we attribute these features to bilayer Wigner crystals composed of two interlocked commensurate triangular electron lattices, stabilized by inter-layer interaction. The Wigner crystal phases are remarkably stable, and undergo quantum and thermal melting transitions at electron densities of up to 6 × 10 12 per square centimetre and at temperatures of up to about 40 kelvin. Our results demonstrate that an atomically thin heterostructure is a highly tunable platform for realizing many-body electronic states and probing their liquid–solid and magnetic quantum phase transitions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

The Crucial Role of Vacancy Concentration in Enabling Superatomic Diffusion in Lithium Intermetallics

Anode-free solid-state Li batteries promise significant increases in energy densities compared to current commercial batteries that rely on liquid electrolytes. Major challenges persist in controlling morphological evolution during the plating and stripping of lithium metal at the anode current collector. Elemental additives that alloy with lithium have been found to modify the plating and stripping behavior of lithium. Many alloying elements form intermetallics with lithium and the mobility of Li through these intermetallics is believed to have an important effect on morphological evolution. This study shows that Li transport coefficients through intermetallics span a wide range in values, with the B32 LiAl intermetallic predicted to have a Li tracer diffusion coefficient as high as 10 –6 cm 2 /s at room temperature, which is 8 orders of magnitude larger than that of isostructural B32 LiZn. This work demonstrates the crucial role of vacancy concentration in controlling the mobility of Li atoms through intermetallics. While the migration barriers for Li-vacancy exchanges in both LiAl and LiZn are remarkably low, the superatomic conductivity in LiAl is shown to arise from the unique electronic structure of the B32 LiAl compound, which favors high concentrations of vacancies.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Physical properties investigation of tetragonal Ba T 2 P 2 (T = Ru, Pd)

The structural, thermal, electrical transport, and magnetic properties of ternary compounds BaT 2 P 2 (T = Ru, Pd) are reported together with electronic structure calculations. Our results show that BaRu 2 P 2 crystallises in the layered tetragonal ThCr 2 Si 2 -type structure (space group I4/mmm) whereas BaPd 2 P 2 adopts the primitive tetragonal CeMg 2 Si 2 -type structure (space group P4/mmm). The combined experimental results and electronic structure calculations suggest metallic and diamagnetic ground states for both materials. Electrical transport measurements further indicate non-Fermi liquid behaviour at low temperatures. Notably, BaRu 2 P 2 exhibits an anomalous feature in the magnetic susceptibility at T ~ 260 K, similar to that observed in BaRu 2 As 2 . A comparison between the bare density of states obtained from electronic structure calculations and the experimentally estimated values suggests the presence of strong correlation effects in the material. Furthermore, the heat capacity of BaPd 2 P 2 , calculated using the full phonon dispersion relation, is in good agreement with the experimental data, particularly at low temperatures, highlighting the significant contribution of optical phonon branches to C P in this temperature range.

flat bands↗
DOE OSTI2021

Dynamics of local magnetic moments induced by itinerant Weyl electrons

We derive the effective interactions between local magnetic moments which are mediated by Weyl electrons in magnetic topological semimetals. The resulting spin dynamics is governed by the induced Heisenberg, Kitaev, and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) interactions with extended range and oscillatory dependence on the distance between the spins. These interactions are realized in multiple competing channels shaped by the multitude of Weyl nodes in the electron spectrum. Microscopic spins need to be spatially modulated with a channel-dependent wave vector in order to take advantage of the interactions. The DM vector is parallel to the displacement between the two interacting spins, and requires the presence of Weyl electron Fermi surfaces. Here, we also derive the Weyl-induced chiral three-spin interaction in the presence of an external magnetic field. This interaction has an extended range as well, and acts upon the spatially modulated spins in various channels. Its tendency is to produce a skyrmion lattice or a chiral spin liquid which exhibits topological Hall effect. Ultimately, the theory developed here addresses magnetic dynamics in relativistic metals even when chiral magnetism is microscopically precluded. We discuss insights into the ordered state of the magnetic Weyl semimetal NdAlSi.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2020

Ammonia Permeation Through Inorganic Membranes

Moisture probes are used in the tritium facility to measure the moisture content of the gas stream. When tritium reacts with nitrogen to form ammonia, the ammonia gas damages the sensitive moisture probe. The gas stream tested during this experiment for moisture probe protection is composed of nitrogen and argon gas in conjunction with ammonia and water vapor. The gas stream is filtered through an inorganic membrane due to the high reactivity of tritium and a residual gas analyzer (RGA) is used to measure the ammonia and water vapor in the gas stream, as well as the permeability of nitrogen and argon through the inorganic membranes. The membranes tested were boron nitride and silver. The permeability was compared for each membrane at different pressures and flow rates. Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) was used to compare the membranes before and after ammonia permeation. Ammonia gas is a byproduct formed from tritium gas reacting with nitrogen in the gas stream, similar to the Haber Process which occurs when hydrogen reacts with nitrogen [2]. The corrosive nature of ammonia damages metals and sensitive instruments such as moisture probes. Moisture probes are essential in various gas and liquid processes for measuring the moisture content of a gas. Membrane research has found that graphene oxide membranes successfully uptake ammonia from the gas stream at a humidity of approximately 30% at which point the pores pin closed, preventing gas permeation. Further research is being conducted to find an inorganic membrane that will prevent ammonia permeation thus circumventing damage to the sensitive moisture probe. The permeation measurements for argon and nitrogen gas and water and ammonia vapor were measured at various pressures of 800, 1000, 1200, 1500, 1800, and 2000 torr. The permeability average (PA) was calculated for each filter using a Barrer calculation. The average permeations for each filter were then compared. The gas composition was measured using the RGA Nitrogen was permeated through the membranes after ammonia permeation and a FT-IR spectrum was obtained. Boron Nitride: As the nitrogen pressure increased, the permeability of the membrane decreased from 800-1200 torr and remained relatively unchanged from 1200-2000 torr. The membrane exhibited a slight decrease in argon permeability from 800-1200 torr and a slight increase from 1500-2000 torr. The boron nitride membrane when permeated with ammonia and nitrogen prevented less ammonia permeation compared to the blank filter. The boron nitride filter demonstrated a decrease in permeability after ammonia permeation. Silver Membrane: When permeated with nitrogen alone, the membrane permeability decreased from 800 torr to 1200 torr. The permeability of the membrane showed little difference as pressure increased from 1200 torr. When permeated with argon, the same phenomenon occurred but on a much smaller scale. When compared to the blank and the boron nitride membranes the silver membrane exhibited significantly lower permeability. This may be in part due to the coating on the silver membrane and differences in pore size of the membranes. During permeation with ammonium hydroxide vapor and nitrogen, the partial pressure of the ammonia increased as compared to the blank membrane. The permeability before and after permeation with ammonia and nitrogen were compared. Permeability values suggested that after being permeated with the ammonia that the permeability for lower pressures increased slightly. There was no significant change in the FT-IR spectrums before and after permeation. Future work: Continue testing various inorganic membranes for ammonia permeation. Further research chemical separation of ammonia from the gas stream, which may prove difficult due to the high reactivity of tritium.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Mechanochemical Solid Form Screening of Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks Using Structure-Directing Liquid Additives

We demonstrate a systematic application of the mechanochemical liquid-assisted grinding (LAG) methodology to screen for forms of zinc imidazolate (ZnIm 2 ), of fundamental importance as the simplest member of the zeolitic imidazolate framework materials family. The exploration of 45 different liquid additives, selected based on their molecular structure and physicochemical properties has resulted in eight different ZnIm 2 topological forms, appearing in 13 crystallographically distinct solid forms (including two previously unknown forms of the crb (BCT) topology), amorphous phases, and the interrupted moc-Zn 4 Im 8 HIm. All prepared topological forms were also explored computationally, using dispersion-corrected periodic density functional theory (DFT) calculations, enabling the rationalization of screening outcomes, and setting the stage for future prediction of additive-directed metal–organic framework (MOF) synthesis. This first systematic exploration of LAG in screening for three-dimensional MOFs demonstrates the potential of the liquid additive to not only accelerate materials synthesis, but also to direct it toward topologically different MOFs. The discovery of novel forms of a material that already exhibits at least 21 crystallographically and functionally different forms provides a strong testimony on the power of mechanochemistry in metal–organic materials discovery.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

A Design and Fabrication Options Trade Study for Metallic Fuel without Internal Sodium Bonding

Nuclear fuels using alloys of uranium, or metallic fuels, have many beneficial properties. The classical metallic fuel design uses a loose fitting cylindrical “slug” of fuel placed inside stainless-steel cladding tubes where the gap is filled with sodium. This sodium bond is liquid at operating temperature and conducts heat from the slug to the cladding, especially in early life before fuel swells into contact with the cladding. Despite the benefits of sodium bonding, there is a desire to develop metallic fuel technologies without it chiefly to reduce chemical reaction hazards in spent fuel storage from sodium fast reactors operating on once-through fuel cycles. Elimination of the sodium bond may also help unlock potential benefits for fuel fabrication, reactor neutronics, and compatibility with other types of reactors. Creating a sodium-free metallic fuel revolves around the problem of manufacturing fuel slug geometries which are in close contact with the cladding at beginning of life to facilitate heat transport while alleviating fuel-cladding chemical interactions (FCCI) at this interface and providing enough free volume to accommodate fuel swelling. Accelerating development and qualification of this fuel system will require careful selection of design and manufacturing options. To this end, a design trade-off study was performed to evaluate candidate options. Several design and manufacturing options were assessed, weighted, scored, and ranked with respect to fabrication, normal reactor operation, off-normal scenarios, and back-end considerations. This effort was performed both for “baseline” needs, which represented a once-through fuel cycle at temperatures and burnups known to be viable for sodium-bonded metallic fuel, and for “enhanced” needs to represent opportunities for closed fuel cycles and/or more aggressive temperatures/burnups. The outcomes of this study prioritized a baseline technology using U-Zr alloy with additives to mitigate FCCI, produced in annular slug geometry by continuous casting, clad in austenitic stainless-steel alloy, and followed by a final step to swage the cladding down to close the gap. This study prioritized an enhanced fuel technology using U-Mo alloy, also produced by continuous casting into an annular geometry, followed by coating/plating with an FCCI barrier on the slug, again with a final step to swage the cladding diameter down using oxide dispersion strengthened steel. It was noted that development of the enhanced fuel technology would entail more risk, thus U-Zr alloy was put forth as a backup to U-Mo if challenges are encountered with FCCI barriers, and advanced ferritic/martensitic steels are put forth as a backup to oxide dispersion strengthened steels if swaging and welding are found unworkable.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Novel Phases and Dynamics of Multi-orbital Mott Insulators

The goal of this project is to gain theoretical insight into magnetism in the presence of spin-orbit coupling (SOC) for multi-orbital Mott insulators. Inspired by the exact solution of the Kitaev model that harbors a quantum spin liquid with novel excitations and struck by its relevance for materials with anisotropic orbital interactions, the PI will explore various new classes of 4d and 5d transition metal oxides. Starting with all electron Hamiltonians, the PI will derive minimal magnetic models. The aim will be to understand the role played by orbital frustration, even in the absence of any geometric frustration, in creating orbitally ordered as well as spin-orbital liquid phases. Orbital frustration arises primarily from the directional or anisotropic nature of d-orbitals in contrast to the isotropic nature of the spin degree of freedom. These models will be investigated by a variety of theoretical and numerical methods, including exact diagonalization, mean field theories, density matrix renormalization group and quantum Monte Carlo methods. Testable predictions for three experiments: nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and resonant x-ray scattering (RXS) to probe orbital ordering and pump-probe experiments to probe quantum dynamics will test the validity of these models for materials.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2024

A Fluoride-Rich Solid-Like Electrolyte Stabilizing Lithium Metal Batteries

To address the problems associated with Li metal anodes, a fluoride-rich solid-like electrolyte (SLE) that combines the benefits of solid-state and liquid electrolytes is presented. Its unique triflate-group-enhanced frame channels facilitate the formation of a functional inorganic-rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), which not only improves the reversibility and interfacial charge transfer of Li anodes but also ensures uniform and compact Li deposition. Furthermore, these triflate groups contribute to the decoupling of Li + and provide hopping sites for rapid Li + transport, enabling a high room-temperature ionic conductivity of 1.1 mS cm -1 and a low activation energy of 0.17 eV, making it comparable to conventional liquid electrolytes. Consequently, Li symmetric cells using such SLE achieve extremely stable plating/stripping cycling over 3500 h at 0.5 mA cm -2 and support a high critical current up to 2 mA cm -2 . Here, the assembled Li||LiFePO 4 solid-like batteries exhibit exceptional cyclability for over 1 year and a half, even outperforming liquid cells. Additionally, high-voltage cylindrical cells and high-capacity pouch cells are demonstrated, corroborating much simpler processibility in battery assembly compared to all-solid-state batteries.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Removal of Metal Oxides from Reactor Metals/Alloys by Laser Ablation

Storage of low and intermediate level radioactive waste in a deep geological repository (L and ILW DGR): - Large volumes of metallic waste = increased production of hydrogen gas. - Large fraction of the metallic wastes are out-of-core reactor components. - Carbon steel feeder pipes. - Radioactive contamination is concentrated within the surface oxides. - Removal of surface contaminants would lead to volume reduction of metallic waste that is stored in L and ILW DGR. - Current decontamination techniques generate large volumes of secondary waste. Objectives: Oxide removal from carbon steel using a ytterbium fiber laser (1064 nm) with a particular focus on identifying the key laser parameters that affect the removal efficiency. Advantages of laser ablation: Generate low volumes of waste, Flexibility of deployment, Remote operation. Grow an oxide film on carbon steel with the incorporation of cobalt. Optimize laser cleaning technology for the removal of surface oxides. Incorporate an oxide collection system for the ablated particles. Conclusions: Objective 1 - Simulated inactive oxides on carbon steel, using Co{sup 2+} as a surrogate for Co radionuclide. Objective 2 - Optimized laser parameters (200 MW/cm{sup 2}, 3 scans, 15 μm overlap); Complete removal of cobalt from surface and bulk metal with optimized cleaning settings. Objective 3 - Glass fiber media H14 HEPA filters had highest collection yield; High oxide collection yields (∼100%). Future Work: Further testing of the liquid trap will verify the efficacy of the HEPA filter and determine the amount of ablated oxides that pass through. Testing of the laser ablation system needs to be done on other reactor materials along with the incorporation of different transition metal cations. Improvements to the oxide collection system are required to improve collection yields.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Hydrogen Storage System Cost Analysis (2017-2021) (Final Report)

This final technical report summarizes hydrogen storage system cost analysis results from 2017-2021. Results include onboard hydrogen storage system costs for light-duty vehicles, medium-duty vehicles, heavy-duty vehicles, class 8 long haul trucks, and passenger buses. Multiple storage systems are included, primarily focusing on compressed and cryo-compressed hydrogen in Type 3 and Type 4 storage systems. Additional analysis includes large-scale gaseous and liquid hydrogen storage at refueling stations in tube trailers and Dewars; advanced materials-based storage systems such as metal organic frameworks and metal hydrides; and a baseline setting analysis of compressed natural gas storage systems in support of the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Initiative (IACMI). Analyses were primarily conducted using a Design for Manufacture and Assembly ® methodology, which is a bottom-up process-based approach to estimating factory costs. Multiple annual production rates are reported to project high-volume costs relevant to mature markets.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2020

Lithium-sulfur battery with lithium polysulfide catholyte

A liquid catholyte for a Li-S battery comprises a non-aqueous solution of at least one lithium polysulfide of formula Li 2 S x (wherein x is selected from 4, 6, and 8) and an anion receptor compound capable of complexing with polysulfide anion. The non-aqueous solution typically is composed of the Li 2 S x and the anion receptor compound dissolved in a non-aqueous solvent (e.g., one or more organic ether or fluorinated ether solvents). The anion receptor compound typically is present in the catholyte at a concentration of about 0.1 M to about 4 M. Li-S batteries comprise a metallic lithium anode; a porous conductive substrate; a separator membrane between the anode and the porous conductive substrate; and the liquid catholyte composition within pores of the substrate.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗