A Simple Halogen-Free Magnesium Electrolyte for Reversible Magnesium Deposition through Cosolvent Assistance.

Rechargeable Mg batteries are one of the most investigated polyvalent-metal storage batteries owing to the increased safety associated with the nondendritic nature of Mg electrodeposition, high volumetric capacity, and low cost. To realize the commercial applications of Mg batteries, there are still a number of challenges remaining unsolved, in particular, the lack of halogen-free Mg electrolytes, as the use of the halogens remains a major limiting factor to achieving high voltage cathodes. Work presented here introduces an innovative approach to prepare a halogen-free Mg-based electrolyte in a simple, nonsynthetic method that can plate and strip Mg reversibly. Results suggest that by introducing a secondary amine cosolvent the magnesium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (Mg(TFSI)2) salt can be easily dissolved into a wide array of polar but aprotic ether solvents. A systematic structural investigation of a representative Mg(TFSI)2 electrolyte in the cosolvent systems with the secondary amine was performed using pair distribution function (PDF) analysis, single crystal diffraction analysis, and NMR. The experimental atomic scale understanding reveals an ion pair structure of Mg2+ coordinated with six oxygen donors from the bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (TFSI) anions and the THF solvent located in the first solvation shell. The as-formed neutral ion pair structure acts as the active component for reversible Mg deposition. We believe this new route of preparing Mg electrolytes can extend the current understanding of Mg electrolyte functionality for rechargeable Mg batteries and offers more guidance for the future electrolyte design.

The lightest organic radical cation for charge storage in redox flow batteries.

In advanced electrical grids of the future, electrochemically rechargeable fluids of high energy density will capture the power generated from intermittent sources like solar and wind. To meet this outstanding technological demand there is a need to understand the fundamental limits and interplay of electrochemical potential, stability, and solubility in low-weight redox-active molecules. By generating a combinatorial set of 1,4-dimethoxybenzene derivatives with different arrangements of substituents, we discovered a minimalistic structure that combines exceptional long-term stability in its oxidized form and a record-breaking intrinsic capacity of 161 mAh/g. The nonaqueous redox flow battery has been demonstrated that uses this molecule as a catholyte material and operated stably for 100 charge/discharge cycles. The observed stability trends are rationalized by mechanistic considerations of the reaction pathways.

Advanced hybrid battery with a magnesium metal anode and a spinel LiMn2O4 cathode.

Two Mg-Li dual salt hybrid electrolytes are developed, which exhibit excellent oxidative stability up to around 3.8 V (vs. Mg/Mg(2+)) on an aluminum current collector, enabling the successful coupling of several state-of-the-art lithium-ion intercalation cathodes (LiMn2O4, LiCoO2 and LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2) with magnesium metal anodes. The Mg-LiMn2O4 battery delivers an initial discharge capacity of about 106 mA h g(-1) with a working voltage of around 2.8 V (vs. Mg/Mg(2+)), highlighting the highest working voltage of rechargeable batteries with magnesium metal anodes to date.

Role of Chloride for a Simple, Non-Grignard Mg Electrolyte in Ether-Based Solvents.

Mg battery operates with Chevrel phase (Mo6S8, ∼1.1 V vs Mg) cathodes that apply Grignard-based or derived electrolytes, which allow etching of the passivating oxide coating forms at the magnesium metal anode. Majority of Mg electrolytes studied to date are focused on developing new synthetic strategies to achieve a better reversible Mg deposition. While most of these electrolytes contain chloride as a component, and there is a lack of literature which investigates the fundamental role of chloride in Mg electrolytes. Further, ease of preparation and potential safety benefits have made simple design of magnesium electrolytes an attractive alternative to traditional air sensitive Grignard reagents-based electrolytes. Work presented here describes simple, non-Grignard magnesium electrolytes composed of magnesium bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl)imide mixed with magnesium chloride (Mg(TFSI)2-MgCl2) in tetrahydrofuran (THF) and diglyme (G2) that can reversibly plate and strip magnesium. Based on this discovery, the effect of chloride in the electrolyte complex was investigated. Electrochemical properties at different initial mixing ratios of Mg(TFSI)2 and MgCl2 showed an increase of both current density and columbic efficiency for reversible Mg deposition as the fraction content of MgCl2 increased. A decrease in overpotential was observed for rechargeable Mg batteries with electrolytes with increasing MgCl2 concentration, evidenced by the coin cell performance. In this work, the fundamental understanding of the operation mechanisms of rechargeable Mg batteries with the role of chloride content from electrolyte could potentially bring rational design of simple Mg electrolytes for practical Mg battery.

Role of Manganese Deposition on Graphite in the Capacity Fading of Lithium Ion Batteries.

Lithium ion batteries utilizing manganese-based cathodes have received considerable interest in recent years for their lower cost and more favorable environmental friendliness relative to their cobalt counterparts. However, Li ion batteries using these cathodes combined with graphite anodes suffer from severe capacity fading at high operating temperatures. In this paper, we report on how the dissolution of manganese impacts the capacity fading within the Li ion batteries. Our investigation reveals that the manganese dissolves from the cathode, transports to the graphite electrode, and deposits onto the outer surface of the innermost solid-electrolyte interphase layer, which is known to be a mixture of inorganic salts (e.g., Li2CO3, LiF, and Li2O). In this location, the manganese facilitates the reduction of the electrolyte and the subsequent formation of lithium-containing products on the graphite, which removes lithium ions from the normal operation of the cell and thereby induces the severe capacity fade.

The Role of MgCl2 as a Lewis Base in ROMgCl-MgCl2 Electrolytes for Magnesium-Ion Batteries.

A series of strong Lewis acid-free alkoxide/siloxide-based Mg electrolytes were deliberately developed with remarkable oxidative stability up to 3.5 V (vs. Mg/Mg(2+)). Despite the perception of ROMgCl (R=alkyl, silyl) as a strong base, ROMgCl acts like Lewis acid, whereas the role of MgCl2 in was unambiguously demonstrated as a Lewis base through the identification of the key intermediate using single crystal X-ray crystallography. This Lewis-acid-free strategy should provide a prototype system for further investigation of Mg-ion batteries.

Origin of Electrochemical, Structural, and Transport Properties in Nonaqueous Zinc Electrolytes.

Through coupled experimental analysis and computational techniques, we uncover the origin of anodic stability for a range of nonaqueous zinc electrolytes. By examination of electrochemical, structural, and transport properties of nonaqueous zinc electrolytes with varying concentrations, it is demonstrated that the acetonitrile-Zn(TFSI)2, acetonitrile-Zn(CF3SO3)2, and propylene carbonate-Zn(TFSI)2 electrolytes can not only support highly reversible Zn deposition behavior on a Zn metal anode (≥99% of Coulombic efficiency) but also provide high anodic stability (up to ∼3.8 V vs Zn/Zn(2+)). The predicted anodic stability from DFT calculations is well in accordance with experimental results, and elucidates that the solvents play an important role in anodic stability of most electrolytes. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were used to understand the solvation structure (e.g., ion solvation and ionic association) and its effect on dynamics and transport properties (e.g., diffusion coefficient and ionic conductivity) of the electrolytes. The combination of these techniques provides unprecedented insight into the origin of the electrochemical, structural, and transport properties in nonaqueous zinc electrolytes.

A Lewis acid-free and phenolate-based magnesium electrolyte for rechargeable magnesium batteries.

A novel Lewis acid-free and phenolate-based magnesium electrolyte has been established. The excellent reversibility and stability of this electrolyte in battery cycling render this novel Lewis acid-free synthetic approach as a highly promising alternative for the development of highly anodically stable magnesium electrolytes for rechargeable magnesium batteries.

[Sb(C6F5)4][B(C6F5)4]: an air stable, Lewis acidic stibonium salt that activates strong element-fluorine bonds.

As part of our ongoing interest in main group Lewis acids for fluoride anion complexation and element-fluorine bond activation, we have synthesized the stibonium borate salt [Sb(C6F5)4][B(C6F5)4] (3). The perfluorinated stibonium cation [Sb(C6F5)4](+) present in this salt is a potent Lewis acid which abstracts a fluoride anion from [SbF6](-) and [BF(C6F5)3](-) indicating that it is a stronger Lewis acid than SbF5 and B(C6F5)3. The unusual Lewis acidic properties of 3 are further reflected by its ability to polymerize THF or to promote the hydrodefluorination of fluoroalkanes in the presence of Et3SiH. While highly reactive in solution, 3 is a perfectly air stable salt, making it a convenient Lewis acidic reagent.

Multimetallic complexes featuring a bridging N-heterocyclic phosphido/phosphenium ligand: synthesis, structure, and theoretical investigation.

By incorporating an N-heterocyclic phosphenium/phosphide (NHP) ligand into a chelating pincer ligand framework (PPP(+)/PPP(-)), we have elucidated several different and unprecedented binding modes of NHP ligands in homobimetallic, heterobimetallic, and trimetallic metal complexes. One-electron reduction of the previously reported (PPP)(-)/M(II) complexes (PPP)M-Cl (M = Pd (1), Pt (2)) results in clean formation of the symmetric homobimetallic M(I)/M(I) complexes [(µ-PPP)Pd]2 (5) and [(µ-PPP)Pt]2 (6). The tridentate NHP ligand has also been utilized as a bridging linker in the M/Co heterobimetallic compounds (OC)3Co(u-PPP)M(CO) (M = Pd (7), Pt (8)), synthesized via salt elimination from mixtures of 1 and 2 and Na[Co(CO)4]. Furthermore, an NHP-bridged trimetallic complex (PPP)2Pd3Cl2 (9) can be synthesized in a manner similar to precursor 1 (Pd(PPh3)4 + (PPP)Cl) via careful adjustment of reaction stoichiometry. Examination of the interatomic distances and angles in complexes 5-9, in tandem with density functional theory calculations have been used to evaluate and characterize the bonding interactions in these complexes.

Heterolytic addition of E-H bonds across Pt-P bonds in Pt N-heterocyclic phosphenium/phosphido complexes.

The reactivity of E-H bonds (E = S, O, Cl) with Pt(II) complexes ligated by an N-heterocyclic phosphido-containing diphosphine ligand have been investigated. Addition of PhSH to [(PPP)Pt(PPh(3))][PF(6)] (1) results in clean formation of [(PP(H)P)Pt(SPh)][PF(6)] (3), in which the substrate has added across the Pt-P(NHP) bond. Similar reactivity occurs when 1 is treated with ROH (R = Ph, Me), but in this case the O-H bond adds across the Pt-P bond in the opposite direction producing [(PP(OR)P)Pt(H)(PPh(3))][PF(6)] (R = Ph (4), Me (5)). HCl addition to 1 cleanly generates [(PP(H)P)PtCl][PF(6)] (6(PF6)). The neutral Pt-NHP complex (PPP)PtCl (2) exhibits similar reactivity; however, in the presence of the nucleophilic Cl(-) anion, the (PP(OR)P)Pt(H)Cl species presumably generated via addition of ROH (R = Me, Et) undergoes an Arbuzov-like dealkylation reaction to exclusively form the N-heterocylic phosphinito species (PP(O)P)Pt(H) (7).

N-heterocyclic phosphenium ligands as sterically and electronically-tunable isolobal analogues of nitrosyls.

The coordination chemistry of an N-heterocyclic phosphenium (NHP)-containing bis(phosphine) pincer ligand has been explored with Pt(0) and Pd(0) precursors. Unlike previous compounds featuring monodentate NHP ligands, the resulting NHP Pt and Pd complexes feature pyramidal geometries about the central phosphorus atom, indicative of a stereochemically active lone pair. Structural, spectroscopic, and computational data suggest that the unusual pyramidal NHP geometry results from two-electron reduction of the phosphenium ligand to generate transition metal complexes in which the Pt or Pd centers have been formally oxidized by two electrons. Interconversion between planar and pyramidal NHP geometries can be affected by either coordination/dissociation of a two-electron donor ligand or two-electron redox processes, strongly supporting an isolobal analogy with the linear (NO(+)) and bent (NO(-)) variations of nitrosyl ligands. In contrast to nitrosyls, however, these new main group noninnocent ligands are sterically and electronically tunable and are amenable to incorporation into chelating ligands, perhaps representing a new strategy for promoting redox transformations at transition metal complexes.

Guilty as charged: non-innocent behavior by a pincer ligand featuring a central cationic phosphenium donor.

The synthesis of a new pincer ligand containing a central cationic N-heterocyclic phosphenium donor is described. The electrophilic nature of this cationic ligand renders it non-innocent, and coordination of this ligand to a PtCl(2) fragment leads to chloride migration from Pt to the cationic phosphorus center.