Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “fluorination”

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 127 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Composites of (C4F)n and (CF)n Synthesized by Uncatalyzed Fluorination of Graphite

A new solid-state 19F magic-angle spinning NMR signal at an isotropic 19F chemical shift of −53 ppm is measured from graphite fluoride synthesized by reaction of graphite with F2 at temperatures above 750 K with no catalyst. Two-dimensional NMR suggests the −53 ppm 19F NMR signal originates from covalent fluoromethanetriyl groups belonging to ordered (CyF)n bulk domains composited with the major (CF)n domains. Quantitative 19F and 13C NMR find y=4.32±0.64. DFT calculations of NMR chemical shifts for unsaturated fluorographene models show that a (C4F)n phase with fluorine bound covalently to a single side of the carbon layer best explains the observed NMR chemical shifts. We assign the new phase to this (C4F)n structure, which constitutes up to 15% of the carbon in our graphite fluoride composites. The (C4F)n content of the composite affects bulk electrochemical properties in a manner similar to graphite fluorides produced by conventional, catalyzed fluorination processes.

Walder, Brennan J. (ORCID:0000000274539143)↗
DOE OSTI2020

Amorphous fluorinated copolymer gas separation membranes

Membranes having a permselective active layer of a copolymerized perfluorinated monomer and an non-fluorinated alkylvinylester monomer demonstrate superior selective permeability performance for separating gas mixtures compared to membranes of exclusively perfluorinated polymers. Preferred active layer compositions are copolymers of perfluoro-2,2-dimethyl-1,3 dioxole (PDD) copolymerized with an alkylvinyl ester such as vinyl acetate, and vinyl pivalate, and with alkylvinyl esters that are substantially hydrolyzed to provide copolymerized vinyl alcohol functionality. The membranes can have a thin, high diffusion rate, “gutter layer” of a fluorinated polymer highly permeable to nitrogen positioned between the active layer and a porous support layer. A novel copolymer effective in selectively permeable membranes is a copolymer of PDD and an alkylvinyl ester compound having the formula H2C═CHOC(O)R1 in which R1 is a linear or branched alkyl group of from 2 to 5 carbon atoms.

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

Additively manufacturing fluorine-containing polymers

A system and method of additively manufacturing a part including electrically conductive or static dissipating fluorine-containing polymers. The method includes depositing fluorine-containing polymer additive manufacturing material onto a build platform, selectively cross-linking portions of the deposited additive manufacturing material, and curing the selectively cross-linked portions such that the part is at least one of electrically conductive and static dissipating.

Selter, Thomas Matthew↗
DOE OSTI2024

Fluorinated cation-disordered rocksalt materials and methods of making thereof

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus related to lithium metal oxyfluorides. In one aspect, a method for manufacturing a lithium metal oxyfluoride having a general formula Li 1+x (MM′) z O 2-y F y , with 0.6 ≤ z ≤ 0.95, 0 < y ≤ 0.67, and 0.0 5 ≤ x ≤ 0.4, the lithium metal oxyfluoride having a cation-disordered rocksalt structure, includes: providing at least one lithium-based precursor; providing at least one redox-active transition metal-based precursor; providing at least one redox-inactive transition metal-based precursor; providing at least one fluorine-based precursor comprising a fluoropolymer; and mixing the at least one lithium-based precursor, the at least one redox-active transition metal-based precursor, the at least redox-inactive transition metal-based precursor, and the at least one fluorine-based precursor comprising a fluoropolymer to form a mixture.

Ahn, Juhyeon↗
DOE OSTI2022

Fluorinated Rocksalt Cathode with Ultra-high Active Li Content for Lithium-ion Batteries

The key to increasing the energy density of lithium-ion batteries is to incorporate high contents of extractable Li into the cathode. Unfortunately, this triggers formidable challenges including structural instability and irreversible chemistry under operation. Here, we report a new kind of ultra-high Li compound: Li 4+x MoO 5 F x (1≤x≤3) for cathode with an unprecedented level of electrochemically active Li (>3 Li + per formula), delivering a reversible capacity up to 438 mAh g –1 . Unlike other reported Li-rich cathodes, Li 4+x MoO 5 F x presents distinguished structure stability to immunize against irreversible behaviors. In this work, through spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques, we find an anionic redox-dominated charge compensation with negligible oxygen release and voltage decay. Our theoretical analysis reveals a “reductive effect” of high-level fluorination stabilizes the anionic redox by reducing the oxygen ions in pure-Li conditions, enabling a facile, reversible, and high Li-portion cycling.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Fluorinated High-Voltage Electrolytes To Stabilize Nickel-Rich Lithium Batteries

As state-of-the-art (SOA) lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries approach their specific energy limit (~250 Wh kg -1 ), layer-structured, nickel-rich (Ni-rich) lithium transition metal oxide-based cathode materials, e. g., LiNi 0.8 Mn 0.1 Co 0.1 O 2 (NMC811), have attracted great interest owing to their practical high specific capacities (>200 mAhg -1 ). Coupled with their high average discharge voltages (~4 V vs Li/Li + ), Ni-rich cathode-based lithium batteries possess a great potential to achieve much higher specific energies (>350 Wh kg -1 at the cell level) than the SOA Li-ion counterparts. In addition, Ni-rich oxides are low-cost battery cathode materials due to their low cobalt contents. However, Ni-rich cathode-based lithium batteries suffer quick capacity degradations upon cycling, particularly at high upper cutoff voltages (e.g., ≥= 4.5 V vs Li/Li + ), due to crystal structure changes of the active cathode materials and parasitic side reactions at the electrolyte/electrode interfaces. In this study, a fluorinated-solvent-based, high-voltage stable electrolyte (HVE), i.e., 1 M Li bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) in fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC), bis(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl) carbonate (FDEC), and methyl (2,2,2-trifluoroethyl) carbonate (FEMC) with Li difluoro(oxalate)borate (LiDFOB) additive, was formulated and evaluated in Li/NMC811 battery cells. Further, to the best of our knowledge, this class of electrolyte has not been investigated for Ni-rich cathode-based lithium batteries. Li/NMC811 cells with HVE exhibited a superior long-term cycle performance stability, maintaining ~80% capacity after ~500 cycles at a high cutoff voltage of 4.5 V (vs Li/Li + ) than a baseline carbonate-solvent-based electrolyte (BE). The superior cycle stability of the Li/NMC811 cells is attributed to the inherently high-voltage stability of HVE, supported by the physical and electrochemical analyses. This conclusion is supported by our density functional theory (DFT) modeling where HVE shows a less tendency of deprotonation/oxidation than BE, leading to the observed cycle stability. The findings in this study are important to help tackle the technical challenges facing Ni-rich cathode-based lithium batteries to realize their high energy density potentials with a long cycle life.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Conformal LiF Stabilized Interfaces via Electrochemical Fluorination on High Voltage Spinel Cathodes (≈4.9 V) for Lithium-Ion Batteries

The high voltage LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O 4 (LNMO) spinel is one of the promising cathodes for the lithium-ion batteries due to its high energy densities, good rate performance. However, its high operating potential (≈4.75 V) causes extensive oxidation of conventional carbonate electrolytes, resulting an unstable and thick cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI) layer with a large irreversible capacity and low coulombic efficiency. In this work, we report the formation of thin LiF stabilized interfaces on LNMO via electrochemical fluorination that significantly improves the cycling stability and enhanced the capacity. An electrochemically induced conformal LiF layer acts as a part of a robust CEI by reducing the leakage of electrons and allowing the conduction of Li ions through it. Because of the robust LiF stabilized CEI, LNMO delivers a discharge capacity of ≈148.5 and ≈117.1 mAh g -1 at 0.1 and 1 C rate, respectively. It exhibits excellent cyclability with 80% capacity retention (CR) after 600 cycles in lithium-half cell and ≈90% CR after 200 cycles in full cell with only 0.03% and 0.05% capacity decay per cycle in conventional carbonate electrolytes without additives. Such an excellent electrochemical performance could lead to the potential development of high energy density batteries with high voltage cathodes for grid-based applications.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2023

High‐Performance Lithium Metal Batteries Enabled by a Fluorinated Cyclic Ether with a Low Reduction Potential

Abstract Electrolyte engineering is crucial for developing high‐performance lithium metal batteries (LMB). Here, we synthesized two cosolvents methyl bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (MFSI) and 3,3,4,4‐tetrafluorotetrahydrofuran (TFF) with significantly different reduction potentials and add them into LiFSI‐DME electrolytes. The LiFSI/TFF‐DME electrolyte gave an average Li Coulombic efficiency (CE) of 99.41 % over 200 cycles, while the average Li CEs for MFSI‐based electrolyte is only 98.62 %. Additionally, the TFF‐based electrolytes exhibited a more reversible performance than the state‐of‐the‐art fluorinated 1,4‐dimethoxylbutane electrolyte in both Li||Cu half‐cell and anode‐free Cu||LiNi 0.8 Mn 0.1 Co 0.1 O 2 full cell. More importantly, the decomposition product from bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide anion could react with ether solvent, which destroyed the SEI, thus decreasing cell performance. These key discoveries provide new insights into the rational design of electrolyte solvents and cosolvents for LMB.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Constructing Water‐Stable Porous Organic Salts via Suppressed Proton Integration Using Fluorinated Tetrazole Tectons

Porous organic salts (POSs) are an emerging class of materials with ordered ionic architectures, offering excellent proton transfer and water uptake properties. However, conventional POS synthesis via strong acid–base neutralization (e.g., ─SO₃H and ─NH₂) leads to extensive hydrogen bonding with water, compromising stability in aqueous and water-lean environments. Here, we address this challenge by designing POSs with hydrophobic porous channels and minimal hydrogen bonding formation. Our key innovation is the use of fluorinated tetrazole as a weak acid tecton and a tetra-substituted imidazole precursor devoid of active protons as the base. Single-crystal analysis and computational modeling reveal that the structural integrity of the synthesized POSs arises primarily from cation–anion interactions, with water confined as clusters in the pores, independent of hydrogen bonding with the scaffold. Robustness of the POS structure under aqueous and water-lean conditions is confirmed by X-ray and neutron scattering, as well as computational modeling, confirming preserved packing and crystal structures. The stability of POS is further demonstrated in aqueous iodine capture, with imidazolium cations and C–F functionalizations serving as strong adsorption sites. As a result, the approach developed herein further pushes the boundary of POS materials to withstand both aqueous and water-lean conditions.

Fluorinated tecton↗
DOE OSTI2023

Mechanistic understanding of aging behaviors of critical-material-free Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 //LiNi 0.9 Mn 0.1 O 2 cells with fluorinated carbonate-based electrolytes for safe energy storage with ultra-long life span

Behind-the-meter storage (BTMS) systems - a viable method to minimize potential risk of blackout events and stabilize the grid - require a different type of cost-effective energy storage with excellent safety, ultra-long (>20 years) cycle life and reasonable energy density compared that of electric vehicles. To increase the energy density and reduce the cost of a long-term cyclable lithium-titanate-based cell, it is required to employ a critical-material-free high voltage cathode and an electrolyte with good electrochemical and transport properties. In this report the long-term electrochemical performance and behaviors of selected critical-material-free Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 (LTO)//LiNi 0.9 Mn 0.1 O 2 (LNMO) full cells for BTMS applications are evaluated and analyzed in the optimized voltage range of 1.4-2.7 V at 45 degrees C with different fluorinated carbonate-based electrolytes. The fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC)-based electrolyte cell shows the highest capacity retention of 57.9% and Coulombic efficiency (CE) of 99.96% after 1000 cycles, potentially attributed to a dense, homogenous and less resistive LiF-rich solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer formed on the surface of LTO that may mitigate electrolyte decomposition and maintain relatively low cell impedance during cycling. The 3,3,3-fluoroethylmethyl carbonate (F-EMC)-based electrolyte cell, however, presents the worst performance with lower capacity and a sharp decrease of CE, due to unstable and non-uniform SEI formation and continuous oxidative electrolyte decomposition. This mechanistic understanding of cell aging behaviors and failure mechanisms with detailed analysis of surface chemistry and electrode morphology can guide design of new electrode chemistries and electrolyte formulations for the development of BTMS batteries.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Understanding fluorine-free electrolytes via small-angle X-ray scattering

Fluorine-free electrolytes have attracted great attention because of its low-cost and environmental friendliness. However, so far, little is known about the solution structures of these electrolytes. Here, we compare the solvation phenomenon of sodium tetraphenylborate (NaBPh 4 ) salt dissolved in organic solvents of propylene carbonate (PC), 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME), acetonitrile (ACN) and tetrahydrofuran (THF). Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) reveals a unique two-peak structural feature in this salt concentrated PC electrolyte, while solutions using other solvents only have one scattering peak. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations further reveal that there are anion-based clusters in addition to the short-range charge ordering in the concentrated NaBPh4/PC electrolyte. Raman spectroscopy confirms the existence of considerable contact ion pairs (CIPs). Here, this work emphasizes the importance of global and local structural analysis, which will provide valuable clues for understanding the structure performance relationship of electrolytes.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

High voltage stable cycling of all-solid-state lithium metal batteries enabled by top-down direct fluorinated poly (ethylene oxide)-based electrolytes

Poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO)-based solid-state polymer electrolytes (SPEs) show prospects in all-solid-state lithium metal batteries. However, they suffer from low ionic conductivity at room temperature and interfacial instability with high voltage cathodes for long-term cycling. In this work, top-down fluorinated PEOs (F-PEOs) for the all-solid-state electrolytes, which are scalable and cost-effective, are developed to improve the battery performance. We demonstrate, that by enhancing the disordering of the F-PEO matrix, the SPE achieves a maximum Li + conductivity of 1.1 x 10 -4 S cm -1 at 40 °C, which is 20 times higher than the baseline. By forming robust cathode/SPE and Li/SPE interfaces, the F-PEO-based SPEs demonstrate stable cycling in the LiFePO 4 /Li and LiNi 0·8 Mn 0·1 Co 0·1 O 2 /Li (3-4.4 V, 500 cycles, capacity retention of 91.6%) based all-solid-state batteries at 40 °C. Therefore, our work highlights the significance of "disordering engineering" for energy storage materials.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2020

Perturbation of 1 J C,F Coupling in Carbon–Fluorine Bonds on Coordination to Lewis Acids: A Structural, Spectroscopic, and Computational Study

A lithiated m-terphenyl ligand bearing fluorine atoms at the ortho positions of the flanking aryl rings was synthesized and characterized using single crystal X-ray diffraction, variable-temperature multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, and computational methods. Here, changes in 1 J C,F on coordination to lithium as a spectroscopic observable parametrizing the strength of the C–F···Li interaction are described, and a general, qualitative relationship between C–F bond lengths, Δ 1 J C,F values, and the extent of C–F bond activation as a result of Lewis acid coordination is proposed.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Removal of Surface Carbonate from Lithium-Ion Battery Cathode Materials via Vapor-Phase Fluorination

Herein, ultrathin metal-fluoride barrier coatings on the surface of lithium-ion battery (LIB) cathodes can improve cycling stability and prevent corrosion by acidic byproducts in the electrolyte. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is an effective method to deposit ultrathin metal fluoride coatings on LIB cathodes. Although numerous studies have demonstrated the benefit of ALD metal fluoride coatings to LIB performance, comparatively few works have examined the effect of individual ALD precursors on the cathode surface. This paper uses X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements to elucidate the surface chemical changes on LIB cathode material surfaces upon exposure to the ALD metal fluoride precursor, hydrogen fluorine pyridine (HFPy). We found a decrease in surface carbonate and an increase in surface fluoride after HFPy exposure suggesting the conversion of lithium carbonate (Li 2 CO 3 ) to lithium fluoride (LiF). This conversion is desirable given that Li 2 CO 3 degrades LIB performance, whereas LiF provides an excellent physio-chemical barrier against chemical attack during cycling. Scanning transmission electron microscopy, X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy, and XPS measurements following HFPy exposure to Li 2 CO 3 powder revealed the formation of a conformal LiF shell around the Li 2 CO 3 particles. Finally, we confirmed the complete conversion of similar to 7 nm ALD Li 2 CO 3 films on silicon from HFPy exposure using XPS and spectroscopic ellipsometry. The elimination of problematic Li 2 CO 3 from LIB cathode surfaces and conversion into a protective LiF coating via a single precursor vapor treatment may provide a cost-effective method for enhancing LIB performance.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Selecting the Optimal Fluorinated Ether Co-Solvent for Lithium Metal Batteries

To guide the selection of a suitable fluorinated ether (FE) co -solvent for lithium metal batteries, it is crucial to understand the relationship between the organic structures of the FEs and the electrochemical performance of an FE-containing electrolyte. In this work, 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoro-1-(2,2,2-trifluoroethoxy)ethane (FEE), 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoro-3-(1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethoxy)-propane (TTE), and 1,2-bis(1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethoxy)ethane (OFDEE) were chosen as representative FE co-solvents because of their distinct structural properties. The structure-activity relationship between the FEs and the electrochemical performance of Li||LiNi 0.6 Mn 0.2 Co 0.2 O 2 (Li||NMC622) cells was correlated and quantified by Fourier-transform infrared and multi-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance techniques. Sand's model was also employed to assess the extent of lithium dendrite formation in the cells using various FE electrolytes. The cycling performance of Li||NMC622 cells using different FE co-solvents follows the order FEE > TTE > OFDEE. Further, since the direct measurement of Sand's time is difficult, we introduced relative Sand's time to probe the diffusion behavior of each electrolyte, and the results showed that the best performance was obtained in the electrolyte with the longest relative Sand's time. Moreover, the lithium metal cell using the electrolyte with FEE co-solvent showed similar capacity retention compared with the baseline electrolyte at room temperature, but it demonstrated significantly improved low-temperature performance. The results indicate that FEE is a promising co-solvent candidate for improving the low-temperature performance of lithium metal batteries because it possesses not only non-solvating behavior but also very low viscosity and non-flammability. The advanced electrolyte LiPF 6 -FEC-DMC-FEE enables very stable cycling of lithium metal batteries at various temperatures.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Enhancing Interlayer Charge Transport of Two-Dimensional Perovskites by Structural Stabilization via Fluorine Substitution

Two-dimensional lead-halide perovskites provide a more robust alternative to three-dimensional perovskites in solar energy and optoelectronic applications due to increased chemical stability afforded by interlayer ligands. At the same time, the ligands create barriers for interlayer charge transport, reducing device performance. Using a recently developed ab initio simulation methodology, we demonstrate that ligand fluorination can enhance both hole and electron mobility by 1–2 orders of magnitude. The simulations show that the enhancement arises primarily from improved structural order and reduced thermal atomic fluctuations in the system rather than increased interlayer electronic coupling. Arising from stronger hydrogen bonding and dipolar interactions, the higher structural stability decreases the reorganization energy that enters the Marcus formula and increases the charge transfer rate. The detailed atomistic insights into the electron and hole transfer in layered perovskites indicate that the use of interlayer ligands that make the overall structure more robust is beneficial simultaneously for chemical stability and charge transport, providing an important guideline for the design of new, efficient materials.

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

Self-Aligned Fluorinated-Organic Ligand for Boosting the Performance of Perovskite Solar Cells

Surface passivation is evident to be one of the most efficient approaches to achieve high efficiency with superior stability of perovskite solar cells (PeSCs). However, most previous approaches to surface passivation involve adding an additional coating process either before or after perovskite film fabrication, thereby introducing an extra processing step and significantly increasing production costs. Here, a simple yet novel one-step interfacial passivation approach was implemented by utilizing the self-aligning properties of fluorinated organic ligands (F4TmI) within a perovskite precursor solution. The inherent propensity of the ligand to spontaneously anchor onto the surface of perovskite guides the crystallization process of perovskites, thus largely enhancing the device performance and humidity stability. The optimized F4TmI-based devices achieved an efficiency of 21.1%, surpassing that of the control (19.8%). Furthermore, the device stability significantly improved after the incorporation of F4TmI, maintaining 78.9 and 95.1% of its initial efficiency after aging at 60 °C and 60% relative humidity, respectively, for 330 h.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Fluorine-Free Ion-Selective Membrane with Enhanced Mg 2+ Transport for Mg-Organic Batteries

Magnesium batteries offer a safer alternative for next-generation battery technology due to their insusceptibility to dendrite deposition. Selective membranes tailored for magnesium-ion conduction will unlock further technological advancement. Herein, we demonstrate fluorine-free magnesiated sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (Mg-SPEEK) selective membranes capable of facilitating magnesium-ion conduction while effectively rejecting soluble organic species. These membranes demonstrate a reversible Mg plating and stripping Coulombic efficiency (CE) of 85.4% and an ionic conductivity of 3.3 × 10 –4 S cm –1 at room temperature, surpassing those for a Mg-Nafion selective membrane. Theoretical density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that SPEEK possesses more localized charge centers along its backbone compared with Nafion, potentially facilitating enhanced ion conduction. Finally, full cells assembled with Mg-SPEEK coupled with the organic cathode pyrene-4,5,9,10-tetraone (PTO) and Mg metal demonstrated significantly improved capacity retention as compared to those assembled with conventional nonselective separators.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗